Haunted
by GeronimoPond
Summary: Bella Swan, a noted paranormal investigator, is called to check out the "Ghost Haven" that is Edward Cullen's house. Can she, along with Edward, defeat what is tormenting Edward in his own house? AU
1. Nightmare

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all these terrific characters, not me. I just get to spook them. **

**This is my first fanfic, so please. Read and Review. Thank you.**

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"_Make it stop!" I screamed and covered my face with my arms. _

"_I can't! It's too powerful!" A familiar voice yelled back. I struggled to turn my head, to find the other person in the room. The man with the green eyes stared back at me. They moved from me and widened in pure terror. I followed and felt my scream get lodged in my throat. The black mass moved towards me. I was frozen with fear. _

"_Bella!" I screamed, but it was too late. The mass came over me and I rolled to my side…_

I landed on the floor with a loud thud. My comforter fell on me, along with my pillow. My heart was pounding frantically and I was covered in a cold sweat. I fought my way through the fabric and let out a loud gasp when the air hit my face. I took deep, long pulls of air until my lungs burned. I closed my eyes and buried my face in the comforter. The dream was too real for me and I could still feel the fear the black mass incited in me. I let out a muffled scream as my alarm went off. I groaned as I picked myself up off of the ground. I shuffled into my closet and picked out clothes to wear.

I had a big day in front of me. I had to stop off over at my publisher's office and hand in my manuscript of a new book I had just finished writing. It was a recollection of my two week stay in Ireland, where I had investigated paranormal sightings. They ranged from leprechauns, to the elusive feys or fairies. I even had the chance to spend a night a in an abandoned castle that was home to a demon and it's black dog. That was what you got to experience when you are the number one paranormal investigator and writer of the paranormal in the United States. I got offers to go to Mongolia and chase what they described as a "desert worm" that ate local sheep herders, offers to go to Africa to see if I could find traces of a lost tribe and their spirits. Letters poured into my mailbox and I actually thought of moving to an undisclosed location, just to get away from the madness. I let out a sigh when the phone rang and a louder one when I saw the number on the caller I.D. screen.

"Yes, Angela. What can I do you for today?" I headed towards my bathroom and began my daily routine. Angela was a dutiful assistant and I wouldn't know what I would've done without her. She helped to organize trips and appointments, and most importantly, was one of my closest friends.

"Sorry to bother you, Bella. I know you have to get to your publisher in a few, but I just got an extremely interesting email from an Alice Whitlock. She lives in Forks, a five hour drive from Seattle. Apparently this has to deal with her brother, Edward and his house. It's incredible what's happened there. Full body apparitions, objects moving on their own, random voice phenomenon, you name it, this house has got it. Bella, I think you need to come over here and read it." The excitement in her voice was addicting. I saw my own huge grin in my mirror.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes. Write back to this Whitlock woman and tell her to be expecting me later today."

"Seriously? Bella, this place is amazing. She has pictures, too."

"And make sure you clear anything on my schedule for the next few weeks. I think I smell my new book in the making."

"Awesome! I'll get your stuff together, as well. She's going to be so happy, Bella. I'll see you in a bit." Angela hung up, as did I. I put the phone down on the counter and nodded. I had a good feeling about this. I finished up in the bathroom, packed a bag of clothes, grabbed an apple from my kitchen and headed out the front door.

I dropped my manuscript off at my publisher and drove as fast as I could over to my office. Angela was waiting for me by the door and ambushed me the minute I got into the building.

"I have your gear already set. Ben is putting it in your car as we speak," I glanced over my shoulder and saw that my other employee and Angela's current boyfriend, Ben Cheney, was busy loading my car with boxes and containers.

"I forwarded the email to you. Bella, I'm not kidding when I say that this place is a ghost playground. Something happens everyday." I double-clicked my email icon and opened the email entitled, "Ghost Haven". I began reading it and soon I was enthralled. It was built in the late 1800s, as a boarding house during the Gold Rush. Gold seekers and entrepreneurs flowed through the house. There was a murder in one of the bedrooms, apparently some gold-crazed man thought another man had stolen his lucky sifter and had bludgeoned the man to death with a pick ax. The blood stain never left the wooden floor. It was also part of a logging company that established itself after the gold rush and used again as a boarding house. There was a lot of injuries and deaths in the logging business and many had died in the house. It was closed after the logging company moved to a different location and wasn't opened up until Alice Whitlock's brother Edward Cullen bought the property and began refurnishing it.

I scrolled through the photos and felt my heart begin to beat faster.

"Angela, this place is awesome!" I screamed and jumped up from my chair. I hugged my friend hard and we laughed like crazy fools. We stopped when the phone rang. I read the caller I.D. and let out a surprised laugh.

"Alice Whitlock is calling," I said and picked up the phone.

"Hello, this is Bella Swan. How may I help you?"

"Bella Swan? This is Alice Whitlock. I emailed your assistant yesterday," I grinned and pushed the speaker button on my phone.

"And she forwarded it to me. Your brother's house is simply amazing. Is it alright if I come out there today and spend a few days at the house?" There was a pause on the other end and then what sounded like a sniffle.

"You don't know how much this means to me, to us. My brother is having such a hard time dealing with everything that's happening to him and his house. It's really taken a toll on him."

"So I'm taking that as a yes. Tell your brother to expect me around one or two in the afternoon."

"Thank you, Bella! Oh my God, you don't know how excited I am! Thank you!"

"I'll see you soon, Alice." I hung up and turned to Angela.

"Holy shit." I whispered. Angela nodded her head in agreement.

"Holy shit is right."


	2. Meet and Greet

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters, not me.**

**You know the drill: read and review, please!**

I left the office as fast as I could. The anticipation was building in me, along with a different emotion that I couldn't exactly pinpoint. It nagged at me until I pushed it back in my mind and I began to focus on the upcoming investigation. I knew I wanted to set up some cameras, still and live, to capture anything interesting. I most definitely wanted a tour, preferably a personal one, by Edward when I arrived. I wanted to interview everyone who had been in the house or had experienced anything.

I was so deep in my thoughts, that I nearly missed the tiny exit sign to Forks. The ride to the tiny town was scenic, to say the least. I followed the directions that Angela had printed out for me and soon enough, I saw the house coming up. I pulled into the driveway, noticing two other vehicles were already there. I only grabbed what I thought was important: a pen, a pad of paper, digital camera and a voice recorder. I would come back out and grab some of my other gear once I got situated.

I walked up the concrete sidewalk to the front door and knocked. I looked around to see what I was up against and felt a cold breeze flow against my back. I shivered and looked to my left, at a window. The curtain behind it moved slightly and I could've sworn I heard laughter floating in the air. I quickly jotted down what I had experienced in my notebook and put it back in my bag. The door opened immediately and I couldn't have been more shocked at what I saw. I was greeted by a tall, lanky blonde man. My jaw dropped in awe. He was gorgeous. He smiled, seeing my reaction.

"I get that a lot. I'm Jasper Whitlock. You must be Bella Swan. Alice told me that you'd be coming soon." Jasper said, extending his hand out to me. I took it and quickly shook my head. I grinned at him.

"That I am. Is Alice around?" I peeked around him. I heard a female's voice getting louder and then saw a woman in the hallway.

"You're early! Welcome! Jas, you could've at least invited her in. Come in, come in. I'm Alice. I'm so glad you're actually here." It surprised me when I saw how…tiny she was. Not that it made any difference to me, it was completely different than what I had imagined her to be like. I instantly felt comfortable around her. She held onto my arm and lead me to what I thought to be the living room. Another couple was sitting on the couch, heads close together. The man on the couch nearly took up the entire thing, but the blonde woman didn't seem to mind. Alice cleared her throat and the two looked up. Again, my jaw dropped at the sight. The blonde woman was absolutely stunning, I felt oddly out of place in my jeans and flannel shirt. She didn't seem to notice when she came over to me and introduced herself.

"Rosalie Cullen. I'm Edward's sister-in-law. Nice to meet you. I've read all of your books. They're fascinating." She was a fan of mine? I smiled and shook her hand.

"Then you'll be happy to know that I just sent my newest book to my publisher. If you'd give me your address later, I'll make sure to give it to her and get you the first book, hot off the press." Rosalie's eyes lit up and she laughed.

"Awesome. Hear that Em? Hot off the press!" The large man smiled and stood up. I underestimated how huge he was. He towered over Jasper and the muscles on his arms were as wide as Alice. Instead of shaking my hand, he engulfed me in hug.

"Finally! You don't look like the ghost busting person I had envisioned. Where's your ghost gun and jumpsuit?" He let go of me and I stared up at him.

"It's all in my car. I had to use it a little earlier when I was battling the Michelin Man and floating aliens." He laughed, catching my reference to the Ghostbusters movie.

"I'm Emmett Cullen. Edward is my little brother." I glanced around the room and put a finger on my lips.

"And where is this elusive Edward Cullen that I'm supposed to help?" Alice cleared her throat again and placed a hand on my arm. She gently pushed me down into a chair and stood in front of me.

"Okay, here's the thing. Edward doesn't know that you're actually coming to help him. I…well, we, kind of joined forces to convince you to come here. Edward is completely in the dark." She bit her lip nervously. I let out a long breath and ran my fingers through my hair.

"Interesting. This is definitely a first,"

"Oh, please don't be offended or anything. I promise this will be completely worth while. Don't leave, Bella," Alice pleaded.

"Who said anything about me leaving? Alice, what your brother is living in is like a ghost playground," I repeated what I said earlier to Angela and smiled encouragingly at them.

"This has enough material for my next book. I would like to get to know you all a little better and also would like to interview you. I guess I could call you my impromptu investigative team." A door slammed somewhere in the house and I jumped, startled. Alice sighed and shook her head.

"Happens all the time, don't worry." We all stiffened when we heard footsteps.

"That too." Emmett added and stood protectively in front of Rosalie, who instinctively reached for his hand. I searched my bag for my recorder, not wanting to miss a thing. I turned it on and whispered into it.

"Bella Swan at the Cullen residence. Just experienced a door slam and footsteps. See notes for what occurred earlier before being let into house." Jasper and Alice both looked down at me when I said that. The footsteps grew louder and louder and then…

"Who the hell is that and why are all of you in my house?" A man growled at the entrance to the living room. The room seemed to relax slightly and Alice was the first to speak up.

"Hi, Edward. This is Bella Swan. She researches the paranormal. I emailed her yesterday and asked her to come out here. She can help," I stood up awkwardly and got my first glimpse of Edward Cullen. He had odd colored hair; not quite brown, but not quite red. It was almost bronze-like. He was almost as tall as Jasper, but more built. The features of his face seemed to be chiseled from stone. There were big purple rings under his eyes. His eyes…I gasped loudly. I recognized those eyes. Images of a large black mass swirled in my head. This was the man from my nightmare.


	3. Quija Board

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all of these characters. And she rules all life. With that said, enjoy the next chapter...**

I put on a brave face and stepped forward.

"I've heard a lot about you, Edward. I'm Bella." He looked at me and then down at my hand, then back at my face.

"I don't need you or your fancy equipment. I'm doing absolutely fine on my own, thank you very much." He spat out and glared at his siblings. Emmett was slowly shaking his head side to side, while Alice looked like she was going to throw up. Concerned, I rubbed her arm and smiled warmly.

"Well, like it or not, I'm staying here until my job is done. Your family hired me, so I'm here to the very end. Do you happen to have a spare room by chance? The nearest hotel is about a half hour away and if something happens, I want to be right there when it happens." Edward stared at me dumbly and growled. I straightened and stood my ground. The entire room was silent. I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes until Edward broke. He grumbled under his breath and pointed to a set of stairs. And without another word, he turned around and left. I slowly turned around and was engulfed in another of Emmett's bone-crushing hugs.

"I like you more every second. You are the only other person besides my mother that can stare down Edward like that. Congrats, I think you've made yet another friend."

Emmett and Jasper helped me unload my things and carried them up to my room. I hadn't seen hide nor tail of Edward after the stare down, and I really didn't care at the moment. I was going to be spending every waking moment in his house, so we were bound to run into each other. I decided to get through some preliminary interviews to pass the time. I learned some interesting things about the house and its owner. But one thing caught my attention. Emmett and Jasper were being interviewed together, and Jasper began telling me about one night they held a séance in the living room.

"Alice went out and bought this board….a Quija board. Some crazy shit happened that night, let me tell you. Every door in the entire house started slamming and it was freezing-"

"Wait. Back up a minute. A Quija board?" I interrupted Jasper by holding my hand up.

"Yea, I remember that part. The plastic thing started moving on its own. Scared the living daylights out of me." Emmett said, nodding his head. I groaned and buried my face in my hands.

"This is very, very bad." I mumbled and dragged my hands down my cheeks. Jasper and Emmett looked at me curiously.

"Why?" Jasper asked quietly.

"A Quija board, if used in the wrong place at the wrong time, is basically a portal from one world to the next. At least, that's what the theory is. I've used the board with some great success, but I've also had to deal with the consequences. Before I jump to some major conclusions, I have to ask. Did most of the happenings around here start before or after the Quija board séance?" Emmett and Jasper looked at each other for a moment before Emmett spoke up.

"There were some minor things before, but everything else has been after." I groaned again. They had opened a portal and let someone or something into the house. I watched them pale as I told them that.

"Do you still have it?"

"No. Alice made us burn it a few weeks back. She didn't like the vibes coming from it." Jasper admitted. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the chair.

"We can go and get another one, Bella." Emmett said, touching my hand.

"Don't you dare bring one of those things into this house. It's bad enough you did it the first time, but all you'd be doing is creating an entirely new portal. And by destroying the old one, there's practically no way to close the one opened here. This is starting to become a difficult case," I sighed and scribbled on the piece of paper in front of me. For the second time that day, the room was silent. Shaking off my annoyance, I opened my eyes.

"What does Edward do, exactly?"

"He's a doctor at the local hospital." Jasper grabbed a folder from a stack on a chair and pointed to the label on it. Great.

"So he deals a lot with the sick and dying?"

"Everyday, basically." The man was a walking spirit magnet. I wrote down some key words and was about to dismiss the two men when the faucet in the sink turned on. I jumped up and ran over, murmuring into my voice recorder.

"Whoever just did that, can you tell me your name? Or if you're shy, why don't you do something else to show that you're still here with me?" The drawer in front of me opened and slammed, loudly. I grinned like a child on Christmas and turned around to see if Jasper and Emmett were watching. They were, and they looked like they were ready to run.

"Isn't that amazing? It responded to my question! Okay, okay. Let's see…can you try and touch me? Just so I know you're here," I stood still, daring myself not to breathe. I thought I imagined it when I felt it, but when it started to travel along my back, I knew it was real. It felt as though someone had run their fingers up and down my spine.

"Thank you." I said simply and walked out of the kitchen. Emmett and Jasper followed me.

"What just happened in there, Bella?" Emmett asked, his voice slightly shaky.

"I communicated with a spirit in there. I wanted to make sure it just wasn't something random, but a planned occurrence. When it responded to my demands, I knew it was right in front of me." I wrote down my experience and when I mentioned the part of feeling it touch my back, Jasper gripped my shoulder. Hard.

"It touched you? You let it touch you?"

"Again, sole purpose here is to communicate. It didn't seem evil, if that's what you're getting to," I looked up from my paper and glanced over at Jasper. He was visibly shaking and was extremely pale.

"I asked for it, Jasper. It wasn't unwanted. I do it all the time. I'm fine. Don't worry about me, I'll let you know if it starts to get bad." I placed my hand on his arm and squeezed. We all jumped when the air around us began to pick up and soon it was like we were in a wind tunnel. Pictures flew off the walls, figurines hit us. As soon as it had started, it stopped. I found myself in the middle of a Emmett and Jasper sandwich. We were all breathing a little too hard, a little too fast.

"Okay, that was bad." I gasped and let out a trembling laugh.

**You know what to do. Read and review!**


	4. Response

**Stephenie Meyer owns these wonderful characters, not me. Awwh...**

Jasper and Emmett were more than a little shook up after the incident, I asked them go and find Alice and Rosalie. I waited in the kitchen for the girls to show up. I grabbed a soda from the fridge at the same time that Edward entered the room. He stood in front of me, a sneer on his face.

"Help yourself, why don't you?" I sighed and put the drink back.

"Can you at least be nice to me?" When he didn't say anything, it irked the hell out of me. I fisted my hands on my hips and glared at him.

"Alright. I get it. You're not happy I'm here. Understood. But what I don't understand is why you have to be such a complete jerk! I know you're mad at your family for doing this, I would be too. Just don't take it out on me. If I was in your shoes, I'd be entirely grateful that I have such loving and loyal siblings, who watch out for you and want you to feel safe in your own home." We glared at each other for a few more seconds when Edward relented. He hung his head and sagged against the kitchen counter.

"I'm just so tired of this! I spend everyday at the hospital and all I want to do is come home and forget everything, but I have to deal with this…this thing in my house. I can't concentrate at work, I don't go places because I'm too damn worried that something is going to happen here. It's taken over my life," He whispered at the end and covered his face with his hands. He was being tormented by whatever was in the house. I knew at that moment that I needed to get to the bottom of this and figure out what was going on here. Immediately. But first, I needed to help Edward. I cautiously stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him. I felt him stiffen and then relax, his arms coming around my waist. He buried his face in the space between my neck and shoulder.

"Hey, hey, listen to me. I will do everything in my power to make this house safe again, for you and your family. If it takes a few days or a few years, I'm not leaving. You can trust me." I murmured in his ear and stroked his back. He nodded and held me tighter.

"But if that's going to happen, you and I need to become friends. None of this hostility stuff. You have to be the one to show strength and courage to get rid of this entity. Without that, this is going to be hard. I can help you with that. Let me be your friend, Edward." I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent, which was unlike any other smell I had encountered. He lifted his head from my shoulder and I felt his breath on my face.

"Bella," He whispered. I slowly opened my eyes and saw his face, barely inches from mine.

"Edward," I breathed and leaned towards him. His lips were nearly on mine when someone cleared their throat, loudly. We jerked back, I noticed how his eyes were glistening.

"I'm…we're…sorry. Did we interrupt something?" Rosalie asked, her arm around Alice. They both looked at us curiously and Alice seemed to be focusing intensely on Edward's face.

"No, we were just…" I searched for something to cover up what had occurred and came up blank. Edward grabbed my hand, startling me. Both women looked at our joined hands and then our faces. My cheeks burned with the intensity of my blush and I avoided eye contact with them.

"Interesting. Em and Jas said you wanted to talk to us, Bella." Alice said quietly.

Remembering that I had wanted to interview them and thinking about the conversation I just had with Edward, I changed my mind.

"Actually, I think I'll talk to you two tomorrow. I want to get settled in here and check the house myself. Sorry for the inconvenience. I'll call you tomorrow. Meet me here. I'm sure Edward won't mind." I risked a glance at him and was pleased when he nodded in agreement.

"I don't work at all for the next three days. I asked off today. Come over early, I'll make breakfast." Edward smiled at his sisters and they left, after taking one last look at the two of us. The front door opened and slammed shut, signaling the departure of Edward's family.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, letting go of my hand. I felt strangely abandoned without his warm grip. He pulled out the makings for sandwiches from his refrigerator. We made our dinner in complete silence and sat down at the kitchen table. I hadn't had a chance to clean off the table of my notes. I went to reach for my notebook, but Edward grabbed it and began flipping through pages. He read each page intently and his chewing slowed as he got to the part about me being touched. He looked up at me, fear clouding his eyes.

"You let it touch you? Are you crazy? What if something happened to you?" Anger took over the fear. I shrugged and continued to eat my sandwich.

"It's what I do, Edward." He reached for my voice recorder and rewound it and pressed play.

" '_Bella Swan at the Cullen residence. Just experienced a door slam and footsteps. See notes for what occurred earlier before being let into house.'_" Edward searched for the notes and reread what was there. Satisfied, he waited for the next entry.

" '_Whoever just did that, can you tell me your name? Or if you're shy, why don't you do something else to show that you're still here with me?_'" My jaw dropped as I heard something in the background of the recording. Edward must've heard it as well because his face was pale.

"Turn the volume up and rewind that," I whispered. He did as he was told and we both waited in anticipation. We listened to it again and the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

"Is that a fucking name?" Edward yelled, dropping the recorder on the table. He jumped up from the table, knocking his chair over. I stared up at him with wide eyes.

"Yea, yea it was. Holy shit. Holy shit!" I jumped up as well and grabbed the recorder. I played it again and listened closely, making sure I wasn't imagining it.

"…_can you tell me your name?"_

"_**Jacob.**_"

**A/N: Didn't expect that one, did you?! Oh, the madness! Review, please!**


	5. Sleep Over

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns everything Twilight. **

**Sorry about the wait, peeps. I've had a serious case of writer's block and yea...here you go. Sorry about the swearing, too. But you have got to realize that if you were put in the situation, I'm pretty sure you'd be swearing like a sailor.**

I spent the rest of the evening setting up cameras and voice recorders in every room of the house. Edward went to his office, mumbling about research and whatnot. I went up to my room and gathered the things I needed for a shower. I shuffled down the hallway to the bathroom, not noticing what was following me. I entered the bathroom and locked the door behind me. I put my clothes down on the counter and turned the water on. Steam filled the room, along with something else. I undressed and stepped into the shower. I pulled the shower curtain across and stuck my head under the water stream. A cold breeze swirled around me and I shivered. I reached down to turn the knob to make the water warmer. I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. I searched blindly for my shampoo bottle. When I couldn't find it, I opened my eyes. Red filled my vision. The smell of salt and iron assaulted my nose. I wiped my face and looked at my hands. Blood dripped from my fingers. I let out a strangled scream. I searched wildly around the shower. The shower head was spraying blood everywhere. I yanked on the shower curtain, but it wouldn't budge. I clawed at it, but it was like it was elastic. The edges had sealed themselves to the shower wall, preventing escape. I felt warmth around my ankles and saw that the blood was pooling on the floor, the drain plugged.

"Edward! Edward, help! Help me!" I screamed as loud as I could. I tried to turn the shower off, the handle stuck. The bloody water was getting higher, now around my calves. Tears mixed with the blood on my cheeks. This had never happened to me before. Terror flowed through me. I started to pound on the shower walls.

"EDWARD! HELP!"

**EPOV**

After hearing the voice on the recorder, I needed to separate myself from Bella. This was becoming too much for me. I closed myself off in my office, desperate to get away from everything else in the house. I logged onto my computer and double-clicked the Internet icon. Maybe I could distract myself with some mindless drivel. I didn't pay much attention to what I was doing and soon I realized that I was reading an article about my own house. I let out a growl and closed the window. I groaned and leaned back against the chair. I ran my fingers through my hair. I couldn't think straight. This was starting to be one of the strangest days in my entire life. I was broken out of my thoughts by muted screams and loud thuds from above me. I ignored it for a moment, but I was spurred into action when I heard my name.

"EDWARD! HELP!" Bella screamed. I ran out of my office and up the stairs. An odd colored steam was pouring out from under the door. I could hear Bella crying and screaming.

"Bella! Bella, let me in!" I yelled, fear shooting through me when the door knob wouldn't move.

"Edward! Something's in here! Help me!" She sobbed. I tried the door again. Realization hit me: she had locked the door.

"I can't get in!" I took a deep breath and slammed myself against the door. It cracked, but still didn't open. I stepped back and rammed the door. I did this repeatedly until the door finally fell forward. The room was full of steam and sweltering.

"Jesus!" I yelled when I saw the shower. It was bright red. I could see the silhouette of Bella, clawing the shower curtain. A black mist swirled around the bottom of the shower.

"Edward! Get me out of here! Now!" Bella screamed. I grabbed the shower curtain, pulling on it.

"What the hell is going on here?" I growled. I tried ripping it from the wall, with no success. Frustration grew in me. I heard a strange gurgling sound and splashing.

"I'm drowning! I'm drowning!" Bella gasped. That set me into action. I looked around the bathroom, trying to spot something I could use to pierce the curtain. When nothing caught my eye, I ran from the room and headed towards the kitchen. I grabbed the butcher knife from its block and ran back to Bella. I cut a slit at the top, and pulled down. A wall of blood flowed over me, over Bella and covered the bathroom floor. Bella landed on top of me, gasping uncontrollably. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight. Relief smothered me. We laid on the tiles for a minute, breathing deeply. She was shaking and crying against my chest and I was breathing heavily. The lights flickered and the shower turned itself off.

"Edward? Get me out of here, please." Bella whispered. Still shocked, I picked her up and carried her from the room. I nudged my bedroom door open and set her on the bed. We stared at each other for a moment before Bella cleared her throat.

"A shirt would be nice. Then I can tell you, a little more comfortably, what the hell happened in there." She crawled underneath the covers, shielding herself from my eyes. I silently dug through my dresser drawers and pulled out an old college shirt and tossed it to her. She slipped it on and let out a long sigh.

"Where would you like me to begin?" I whipped around, eyes blazing.

"Why aren't you freaking out right now? Why aren't you hysterical? Sobbing, screaming? You were drowning in a shower full of blood!" I roared and kicked the wall.

"Edward, this is my job. I need to figure this out, there is no time to freak out right now. The longer it takes me to understand this spirit, the more opportunities we give this thing to terrorize you." She stared into my eyes and was completely serious. I didn't buy it.

"I still don't understand how you could be so calm. You could have died!" I gaped at her all too calm face.

"But I didn't. Give me a minute, I need to figure this out." She stood from my bed and began to pace the room. I couldn't help but notice the impeccable shape she was in. She had long, slender legs that should be insured because they were so perfect and from what I could see underneath my shirt, her upper body was just as beautiful. I tried not to stare, but I was having a hard time. I was relieved when she finally stopped pacing and rushed out of my room and down the stairs to look at some of her notes. She started scribbling madly on the paper, mumbling to herself. She occasionally glanced up at me, stared at me intensely, and went back to writing. Soon, she put the paper down and closed her eyes.

"That was easier than I thought," She murmured and ran her hands over her face. I stared at her, jaw slack. What the hell was wrong with this woman?

"Well…what just happened?" I stared back and waited for her explanation. Impatiently, I waited.

"Well, as I mentioned before, when you all used that Quija board you opened a portal. Now sometimes, nothing happens. Sometimes a kind spirit will enter, and sometimes, unfortunately, an evil spirit will enter. Usually, evil spirits are troubled over something and decide to take out their aggression on the people who opened the portal. In your case, well, you basically got the most pissed of spirit around. Now, if I can figure out what happened to make this spirit so upset, I might be able to help it get over what happened and get him to leave you alone. That would be the best case scenario." She explained the whole thing rather quickly while I stared back, silently cursing my family for playing with that damn board.

"What's the worst case scenario?" I asked, trying to stay as composed as she was.

"I'd rather not say." She gulped as she said it and it seemed as if her perfect calm was finally fading. I repeated my question and I saw her eyes go hard.

"Fine, you want to know what'll happen? Okay, here you go," She slid out of the bed and stood in front of me, poking my chest with her finger.

"First, it'll start messing with your head. You'll hear voices, think you're seeing things. Your stuff will go missing or move. That's not all. What happened in the bathroom is the second stage. It starts getting physical with you, bringing you to the brink of death, until you get so tired of fighting, your practically asking for it."

"Doesn't sound that bad," I said nonchalantly, which made her mad. She let out a growl and poked me harder.

"You, Edward, are a complete ass! If you really don't care, then what the hell am I doing here? Do you want to be fucking tortured by a pissed of spirit that just tried to kill me? Seriously Edward, do you even understand the amount of danger that you, and now, apparently I, am in?" That was the reaction I was looking for. She was way too composed and clinical in everything she did, and I just wanted to see her passionate about her work.

"Now I do. Thanks, Bella." I climbed on the bed and laid down. Bella growled again and stomped her foot. I bit back a smile, I thought girls only did that in movies.

"I am not done with you, Edward Cullen! The worst case scenario is full-body possession. There. I said it. You are in danger of being possessed by whatever is here." She whispered at the end, overcome by some emotion that I couldn't quite place. She went to a chair in the corner of the room and slumped down, mentally drained. I stood from the bed and went over to the chair she was in, and knelt down next to the chair. She looked up at me and her eyes flashed with a mix of emotions; anger, sadness, and something else, that seemed like passion. She stood up from the chair, anger taking over her expression. She glared into my eyes sighed. I began to follow her out of the room, reaching for her arm. I turned her to face me and she was literally fuming.

"What do you want Edward?" She looked defeated, angry, and confused. "You have made it clear that you don't give a shit, so what is it?"

"I'm sorry Bella, that isn't what I was trying to do before. You weren't displaying any emotion and I wanted to see if you really cared. I know you do now, and I have just decided something. I'm not letting you out of my sight. After what happened in the bathroom, I'm not going to let something happen to you. So, I think you should sleep in here. With me." I blurted out as quickly as I could, trying to sound as respectable as possible.

"No, I'll be fine. I…appreciate the offer, but, I…have my own bed." She stuttered with a confused expression. I tried not to read into the hesitation that was all too clear.

"I can't let you do that. It's too dangerous." I reached behind her and locked the door of my room. I took the key and put it in my pocket. I left her fuming at the door, knowing that she wouldn't try to receive the key while I was still wearing those pants. She went back to the chair and sat down, pretending to fall asleep. I went to the bed and laid down under the covers. I managed to fall asleep after I stopped trying to think of some way to get her to come join me. After a few hours I heard a loud thud and thought it was the ghost. When I flipped the light on, I saw Bella sprawled out on the floor. Apparently, she fell out of the chair. I tried not to laugh as she glared at me. I lifted the sheet, inviting her to join me once again.

"One night, Edward. One night only," She mumbled as her head hit the pillow. I smiled and tucked the blanket around her.

"Whatever, Swan."

**Gah...next chapter up soon, I promise!**


	6. Black

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all Twilight. I just enjoy scaring the crap out of them.**

**BPOV**

I woke up when I felt something touching my feet. I had been sharing Edward's bed for the past three nights, after much persuasion and a brief encounter from the spirit, and had already learned his sleeping habits. But touching my feet? That was something new.

"Edward, stop tickling my feet. It's not funny." I mumbled into my pillow. Edward's snores stopped and I heard his yawn.

"I'm not tickling you." He rolled over in bed.

"There! I felt it again! Stop touching my feet! I'm serious!" I picked my head up and let out a startled gasp when his nose brushed against mine.

"I'm not touching you, Bella." He said slowly. I shifted so I was resting on my elbows. I pushed down my pillow to look over at the nightstand to check the time. 3:15 in the morning. I felt myself pale and tense up. Edward must've sensed something as well, because he was sitting up in bed when I turned to him.

"It's 3:15 in the morning," I whispered.

"Yea, so? It's freaking early,"

"I know that, stupid. Have you ever heard of the dead hour before?" He shook his head slowly.

"Okay, how about Amityville Horror?"

"Emmett and I watch that all the time. What about it?"

"You know how everything bad happens at 3:15 in the morning?" Realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"You're kidding, right? I thought they made that up for the sole purpose of the movie."

"No, dead hour is between three and four in the morning. It's apparently when the spirits are the most active. I've had some of my vivid experiences during that time." We were both silent for a moment, letting everything sink in. I jerked when something brushed against my foot again.

"Okay, so you weren't joking before. Something's tickling me." I said quietly. Edward panicked and reached over to me, pulling me against him. We both went perfectly still when the door knob jiggled loudly.

"Do you see something or am I just imagining things?" Edward breathed in my ear.

"I see it, too. By the door?" My eyes focused to the door, where a small black mass appeared. It slowly got bigger and bigger, and began moving towards us.

"Edward," I said through clenched teeth.

"What?"

"This is stage three. Remember?" I had filled him the morning after our big fight, giving him all the information that I knew about evil spirits. Stage three was a full body apparition.

"Shit."

**EPOV**

Great. Fucking fabulous. Full-body apparition of an evil spirit. Great.

**BPOV**

Edward was mumbling something under his breath, but I ignored it. I realized that I didn't have any of my supplies with me, so if anything happened, I couldn't count it as evidence, just a personal experience. But at the moment, I really didn't care. The mass grew larger as it moved towards us and stopped at the foot of the bed. I had stopped breathing.

"What is it?" Edward asked, fear apparent in his voice. I shook my head.

"I don't know." I squeaked. We both let out a terrified scream as the sheets were ripped from the bed. They swirled around the room, as if caught in a tornado. Suddenly, iron vices clamped around our ankles and we were being slowly pulled across the bed. We scrambled for purchase, but whatever was pulling us was too strong.

"Bella!" Edward yelled, reaching towards me. I grabbed his hand and we both tried desperately to anchor ourselves on something. I screamed as I was flung into the air and hit the ceiling. Edward stared up at me, stunned.

"Do something!" I screeched as I was dragged across the ceiling.

"What?! What?!"

"Turn the damn light on! Something!" I slammed against the wall, knocking the air out of me. Edward stared at me for a moment and slid off the bed. He fought his way against the blanket tornado and flipped the lights on. The blankets stopped spinning and landed in a heap at the foot of the bed. The black mass disappeared. And I fell from the ceiling. I braced myself for impact, but all I felt were a pair of arms wrap around me. Edward fell back against the bed, breathing heavily and still holding me in his death grip. I buried my face in his neck, gasping. His heart beat rapidly in his chest and his whole body trembled, similar to mine. We stayed like that for a few moments as the realization of what just happened sank in. I stared up at Edward and looked into his terrified eyes. I put my hand on his chest in an attempt to calm him as he tightened his already fierce grip.

"Edward, its okay. You can let go of me now. I'm okay." Still attempting to calm him, I tried to be soothing, even though my voice was shaking.

"I'm not ready to let go yet. Just give me a minute." He continued to gasp for breath. By now, I was calm. While I had never experienced something like that, I was now more determined than ever to figure out what the hell was going on. He held me, slightly rocking back and forth and still trembling. I put my hand back on his chest, rubbing and felt his heart begin to slow. He stared down at me and intensely searched my eyes for something. I smiled weakly and felt his grip relax slightly. I impulsively wrapped both of my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, hoping that it would help relax him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to his chest, still tighter. I heard him mumbling again into my hair and pulled back from his embrace. He seemed like he was finally calm. I stood up from the bed and headed down the hall to my room to gather some of my supplies. I heard him following behind me, knowing that he would never leave me alone, especially after what just happened.

**I love you all! Eek! Read and review, please!**


	7. Compromise

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer rules all life.**

**EPOV**

I followed Bella to her bedroom like a lost puppy. I wasn't all too together after what happened in my room and I wasn't sure that I would be. Again, Bella was ever the professional, writing in her notebook. I sat on her bed until she was complete.

"Edward, I need you to document what happened in there." She nudged me with the pad of paper. I grasped it in my numb fingers and it fell to the floor. The look on my face must've alarmed her because she was in front of me in an instant, her hands running up and down my arms.

"Are you okay? You look like you're going to be sick," I refocused my eyes and stared at her.

"Yea…yea…" I mumbled and laid back against the bed. My groaned internally; her hands felt so good, so comforting. I wanted to be held again, but didn't want to seem weak.

"You sure?" She brushed some stray hairs from my forehead. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

"Not at all. I think we need to leave, just for a little while. Until things settled down a bit." I whispered. Bella sighed and sat next to me. She placed her hand on top of mine and squeezed.

"If you feel the need, you can go. But it's my job to figure out what is exactly happening here. Maybe you could stay with Alice or Emmett." I shook my head.

"Where I go, you go. You promised after the night you almost drowned that you wouldn't leave my side." Caught in a web of her own making, Bella stood up and slumped in a nearby chair.

"Edward, I'm serious. I need to stay. The spirit is getting stronger every minute."

"Exactly. That's why you're coming with me. I'm not one for compromise." I sat up now, feeling more energized from the challenge placed in front of me.

"Neither am I. I'm staying and that's final." Damn, she was a stubborn one. Pulling on my last reserve, I walked over to her and picked her up. She was glaring at me, and I ignored her. Sucking in a breath, I pulled her close. And then I stopped thinking.

**BPOV**

Frustration and anxiety flowed through me as I listened to Edward demand that I leave with him. I didn't want to leave; what happened earlier was just the beginning, the appetizer before the main meal. He just didn't understand what was going on here. I nearly lost it when he said he wasn't going to compromise. And then nearly lost it for a different reason when he hauled me against his chest. I wasn't sure I really knew what was going on but stopped thinking. He began to lean towards me and I couldn't read the expression on his face. He whispered my name and his breath intoxicating. He quickly closed the distance between us and his lips gently pressed against mine. His arms were wrapped around my waist and he pulled me closer, pressing me against his chest and lifting me up to reach his lips more easily. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't think. He broke the kiss temporarily and we were both breathing faster. He kissed me again, this time deepening the kiss. He turned his head and his lips moved against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and clung to him, surprised by my own reaction to his kiss. It was just a kiss. Just a kiss. Just the best fucking kiss ever. Just a kiss…

The kiss continued to deepen. Not fully understanding what was happening, I open my mouth slightly. Edward took that as a signal to proceed and began to get more eager with the kiss. His tongue slid inside my mouth and I felt myself pulling him closer. He tightened his grip and I felt myself getting weak in the knees. It was probably for the best that he was holding me so tightly or I might have collapsed to the floor. I was getting lost in the kiss and probably would have melted soon if the house hadn't started shaking.

The shaking began slowly and progressed to a violent shaking that could be confused as an earthquake. Edward grumbled against my lips without completely breaking the kiss. I backed away from him and the shaking stopped. It was almost as if the spirit didn't want us to kiss. I tested my theory. I quickly kissed Edward again. He was a little shocked, but willing to oblige. The house began to shake again, much faster this time. I backed away again, the rumbling stopped.

"Maybe leaving wouldn't be such a bad idea." I whispered. Edward took the opportunity and pulled out his cell phone to make reservations at a nearby hotel. I hurried around my room gathering my supplies and clothes for a few days. I was hoping we wouldn't be gone that long, but I wanted to be ready just in case. Edward came back into the room with a bag of clothes. We stared at each other for a moment. There was some strong emotion hiding behind his eyes that he wouldn't quite reveal, and I was almost sure that I was feeling the same. We would have to talk about what just happened soon, but for now, all I was concerned about was leaving. Edward came to me, took my bag and led me out the door.


	8. Just A Kiss

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns everything Twilight. Sorry lovies, I was busy reading Breaking Dawn and having uncontrollable mood swings during the entire thing. No, not pregnant. Just...confused. But, now that I've finished I'll be updating pretty rapidly, thanks to my friend. (LoveCullen125, if you're wondering. No stories up yet, but give her some time...) Now, on with the show!**

**EPOV**

As I led her out the door, I was surprised that I could still function. I could not believe that kissing her worked. When I was making the decision, I felt so juvenile, thinking that I could dazzle her with a kiss. But, it worked. She seemed to respond to the kiss just as passionately as I did. I was in awe. I had kissed several woman in my life, probably more than my share. Never anything serious, no. I just used to date. A lot.

But never, in all of my experiences, had a kiss been like _that._ I couldn't believe it. That kiss was amazing. So much more than anything I'd ever felt. I shouldn't feel anything really, she was just, Bella. Just Bella. Just a kiss. Just a kiss. Just the _best fucking kiss ever!_ Just a kiss…

I hadn't realized how close I was walking with her until we got to the garage. She left my side and walked to the Volvo and I suddenly felt abandoned. She was only ten feet away, and I had an overwhelming urge to hold her again. I had to get these feelings under control. She was working for me, trying to help. The last thing she needed was a distraction. Even if that was exactly what I had in mind. I couldn't help but look forward to the time that we would be spending together in the next few days. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to spend these next few days without losing my mind.

The hardest part about the whole damn situation was that I was almost sure that she didn't feel the same way. True, she kissed me back, but it might've been a test to see if the spirits were reacting to our closeness. She couldn't feel the same way about me. Truthfully, she probably didn't really like me. We had been sharing the same bed, but it was against her will. She couldn't, didn't, and probably never would feel this way about me. Damn.

BPOV

So, this was interesting. He barely touched me as his led me to his car, but I felt like my skin burned to his touch. A good burn. I was shocked. He rested his hand on the small of my back as we walked to their garage and I forced myself to separate myself from him to get in the passenger side. I couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. It didn't seem like a normal kiss. It seemed like so much more.

The drive was fairly quiet. Conversation consisted of my asking where we were headed, his telling me not to worry about it, me getting upset that he wouldn't tell me, and him fidgeting. A lot.

"Edward. I'm asking you one more time. Where the hell are we going?" I pleaded. I absolutely hated surprises.

"Bella, I told you not to worry about it. We are going to my favorite hotel and I'm going to get us a suite. Don't worry about the cost. I'll take care of it. Don't fight me on this Bella. I'm not in the mood." I could tell from his tone that there would be no more discussion on where we were headed, but I couldn't help but feel like he was in a bad mood because of the kiss. It probably had to do with the fact that his house was being taken over, but, being the insecure girl I was, I convinced myself that it was my fault. My mood altered and I began to pout. I was shocked by reaction, but couldn't do much about it. He noticed. Perfect.

"Bella, what's wrong?" He stared at me with an intensity I wasn't really comfortable with.

"Nothing. Just let it go." I was pissed. Getting more pissed every second. And it was the stupidest reason possible.

"Bella, please tell me. I hate not knowing what's inside your head. Please?" He practically begged. I couldn't stand it.

"Here's the deal. You let me pay for half of the hotel stay and I'll tell you why I'm pissed."

"Fine. What's on your mind?" I couldn't believe that he agreed so quickly. It was probably a scam, but I couldn't back out on my word.

"Okay, don't laugh okay? When you told me before that you weren't going to tell me where we were going and ended the conversation because you 'weren't in the mood', I felt like the reason you were not going to tell me and were in a bad mood was because…you, er, were disappointed. With me. With the, um…kiss." The last part came out barely a whisper. I was so embarrassed, I don't think I could have blushed any redder.

"Oh, Bella. That's not…Bella, I…no. That kiss was…" He trailed off, not really knowing what to say, but I had a feeling he was just as embarrassed as I was. An awkward silence fell inside the car and Edward cleared his throat uncomfortably. I rested my head against the cold window and sighed. I had absolutely no idea what he had meant by his reaction.

"Bella," He said, his voice rougher, huskier than before. I jerked to attention, and rubbed my eyes.

"What?"

"You don't see yourself as clearly as others see you. Especially me," I did a double-take, my mouth open wide. _What?_

"Explanation, please?" Edward shook his head and let out a long, exasperated breath.

"That kiss was the farthest thing from disappointment. You underestimate and over-analyze the situation at hand too much. Just take the kiss as a kiss and move on."

"It was a fantastic kiss," I mumbled under my breath and gasped when I saw the hotel we were going to stay at for the night. It was Seattle's very own Taj Mahal.

"Fantastic, huh?" The look on his face was almost…smug. I blushed again and grumbled.

"Whatever, Cullen."

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	9. Interruption

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. Oh My Edward/Carlisle! Two updates in less than two hours?! AHH! Thanks again to LoveCullen125, who basically wrote this entire chapter. Seriously, peeps, I need reviews like a druggie needs their fix. I'm not feeling very encouraged...haha...but seriously. Pity train over. Enjoy chapter, but review at end. Please...?**

**BPOV**

Edward all but dragged me from the vehicle and into the lush hotel. The front lobby was elaborately decorated, but not too gaudy. It was almost like you could taste the money in the air. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that Edward was one of these people.

"Ahh, Mr. Cullen! Back so soon? Your room is already reserved and a bellhop is waiting to collect your bags. I wasn't aware that you had a guest," The front desk attendant said, a smile stretching across his boyish face. Edward grinned back and tucked me in close to his body. I nestled my head against his shoulder and looked up at him, my eyes glowing.

"An unexpected surprise, though. Is it possible to order some room service? I know it's late, but we haven't eaten all day,"

"For you, Mr. Cullen, anything is possible." The attendant said brightly and began dialing the phone. Edward nodded warmly and directed me over to the elevators. The bellhop followed closely behind with our bags. I dropped the façade and scowled at Edward the moment the elevator doors closed. The bellhop winked at Edward and waited for the next available elevator.

"Was that truly necessary back there? I mean, honestly…" I still wasn't comfortable with the money Edward flaunted around.

"I'm a regular here, Bella. How did I offend you now?" Stuck, I mumbled incoherently and I glanced at him, glowering when I saw his crooked smile.

"If it's the money, I won't do it again. I'm just accustomed to it. Come on, I'll show you the room." His grin grew and he tugged on my hand. I reluctantly trailed behind him. We walked to the end of the hall and stopped at a room with the words "Imperial Suite" on the door. I rolled my eyes. Of course he would be in the "Imperial Suite". He chuckled at my reaction and opened the door. I think my jaw actually dislocated when I saw the room. I seemed like a completely different world. The room was so elaborately designed and seemed practically covered in mahogany, leather, and satin. The whole bed seemed made of satin. It was amazing.

"Oh…my…Edward. How can you afford something like this?" I gaped at the sheer size of this suite. I heard him stifle a laugh behind me. I spun around to glare at him and found him much closer than I thought he had been. I gasped and began to lose my balance. He caught me, but didn't let go as soon as I was steady. He pulled closer and held me to his chest. He held me like that for a moment in silence. He stared at me intently. It seemed like he was making some kind of choice, fighting an internal battle.

"Edward, I-" I stopped talking when he gently placed his hand on my cheek. It felt like he was pulling me tighter and was leaning closer. I secretly hoped he could kiss me again, and when I was sure that was his intent, I relaxed in his arms. As I relaxed, someone knocked on the door. The room service, I guessed. He let me go reluctantly and went to answer the door. I used that moment to escape to the bathroom. This was insane. I actually wanted him to kiss me. When I returned to the main room, he was sitting at the table with two trays of what looked like chicken alfredo. It looked delicious and I was starving, so I joined him and quickly began eating the delectable pasta.

We ate in silence, but stared at each other for most of the time. To my surprise, it was never awkward. It was like we were both completely content with just staring at the other. It was weird, but I liked it. When we finished, Edward cleared the table and I relocated to the leather couch. He joined me after lighting the fire and we sat in silence for a few minutes. I didn't know what to say, but wasn't even sure I wanted to talk. Like I said, weird.

"So, are you ever going to tell me what really upset you in the lobby today?" He asked with the same crooked smile.

"Well, it was just weird that you made us seem so…couple-y. Holding me like that. I don't know, it was…odd. It was nice, though. Never mind." As I spoke I grew more and more embarrassed, first afraid that I had hurt his feelings, second that he didn't want me to feel that way, third that I felt that way. Ugh, this was ridiculous.

"Bella, I don't really know what happened. It just felt…natural. I'm sorry if that bothered you."

"It didn't. That's the problem." I barely whispered the second part. He heard me, of course.

"Why is that a problem? I know it's a little unorthodox, but really I don't see how it's a problem. Bella, its not that big of a deal. I like holding you." He muttered. I think my stomach dropped out of my ass. I don't know how, but he sounded so sensual while saying something so innocent. I shivered slightly and Edward misinterpreted it as being cold, but I was anything but. He got up to poke at the fire and I breathed deeply through my nose.

"Are you feeling okay? You've been acting different since dinner. Was something off? I can call and get something else, if you want."

"I don't want anything else, Edward."

"Then what is it?" I closed my eyes, psyching myself internally. Letting out a long breath, I opened my eyes and I grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him to me. I heard his breath catch as I whispered against his lips.

"I want you, Edward." And then I kissed him. He immediately reacted by wrapping his arms around my waist and scooping me into his arms without breaking the kiss. He sat us down on the couch, holding me close and kissing me with a vigor I wasn't expecting. He broke the kiss but his lips did not leave my skin. He left a trail of kisses down my chin to my neck. He was practically driving me crazy.

"Bella, you have no idea." I shivered again, this time he understood my shiver. He pulled my tighter and recaptured my lips. I could feel my pulse quicken and I trembled slightly in his arms. His hands traveled all over my back and arms and neck, leaving a trail of fire everywhere his hands touched. Mine did some exploring of their own. I gasped against his lips. I hadn't noticed how muscular he really was underneath all his oversized shirt. He could have been a statue; he was so perfectly sculpted. I moved my hands to the front of his chest, which was just as perfect as his back.

He picked me up again and we relocated to the exquisite bed. He laid me on my back and hovered on top of me, kissing me harder. His hands traveled down my arm and rested just below my chest. I couldn't believe how amazing his hands felt. He continued his journey down my body. He traced over my hip and down my legs. He wrapped his hand behind my knee and hooked my leg around his hip. I gasped at the movement and my hands grabbed a fistful of his hair. I pulled him closer and could feel myself losing all sense of what was going on. I had never been a girl to let this happen, but at this moment, I didn't care. All I could see, was him, and I was fine with that. He was kissing me more passionately and a small moan escaped from my mouth as he ran his other hand over my body and left it on my hip, pulling my lower body closer to his. And as if on cue, his phone rang. It was like the person on the other end was my conscience telling me, 'Now Bella, don't do this.' Edward seemed to agree with my thoughts of disappointment when he groaned. The sound was strange, coming from the back of his throat. He untangled himself and left the bed to answer his phone, which was strategically placed across the room. He muttered on his way over to the phone. All I caught was 'Alice'.

"What do you want Alice?" He growled into the receiver. He looked at me and smiled apologetically. We both knew that there was no way that would happen again tonight. I couldn't hear their conversation because Edward locked himself in the bathroom. He came out of the bathroom, looking a little grim. I smiled, trying to lighten the suddenly tense mood.

"Alice wants us to come to dinner tomorrow. Carlisle and Esme are going to be there and she wants you to explain what is going on at my house. She also thought it would be a good idea for you to meet them." He sounded a little…nervous.

"Why? I get the idea of me explaining to them the situation, but why does she think that I should meet them?" I was confused, but so flattered.

"I don't know really. It might have something to do with the fact that I told her that we were…dating." He muttered. I couldn't even force myself to be angry. I wanted to race across the room and kiss him again. I didn't understand what was happening to me, but I liked it.

**Click the blue button...you know you want to...submit the review. Or I'll sic a ghost on you. Ghosts don't like it when you make them angry...**


	10. Door Number One

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just enjoy putting them in different situations. Three chapters in four hours! I'm slightly impressed with myself. Again, I bow down and give thanks to my bestest friend, LoveCullen125, for helping me through the writer's block, which hits me after about two paragraphs...enjoy.**

**BPOV**

I had realized, after opening the suitcase Edward packed for me, that I needed help.

"Edward…" I whined, sticking my head out from the bathroom. I just finished taking my shower, dug in my bag for some clothes and came up with four notebooks, a voice recorder, digital camera and a pair of sweatpants and his college t-shirt he gave me a few days ago. I didn't have anything suitable for going out to eat with his parents. _His parents_. Oh, God. I hadn't even know the man for two weeks, was so close to reaching second base with him last night and now I was meeting his parents. I felt lightheaded at the thought.

"What?" He called back, his voice faint. He was probably in the living room. I could hear the low rumblings of the television.

"Come here for a moment, please." I hid my body behind the door and I tightened my grip on the towel around me. He came around the corner, still in his pajamas. Not that I didn't mind the view. I snitched his sleep shirt from him last night, so he was stuck wearing only his pajama pants. My clenched my jaw to keep it from dropping. The man was a god.

"Yes?" His wickedly crooked grin flashed on his face as he leaned against the doorjamb. His eyes peeked through the crack in the door and I growled, shielding myself even more behind the door.

"Eyes to yourself, Cullen."

"Right back at ya, Swan." Realizing that he was distracting me from the matter at hand, I took a deep breath and spit it out.

"I need Alice's number."

"Why?"

"Do you need a reason? Maybe I want it for my personal records, you don't know that."

"What do I get in return if I give you her number?" I bit my lip, fighting against a smile. The man was ridiculous.

"Door number one, or door number two?" His eyes lit up and he began bouncing slightly.

"Give me a minute. I have to get my phone." He practically skipped from the room and was back in less than five seconds, scrolling through his phone book. He handed me the phone and smiled like a child on Christmas morning. I rolled my eyes and shut the door in his face. I heard his groan and a thud. Pressing the call button, I waited for my destiny to answer.

"Edward?"

"No, it's Bella. I have a huge favor to ask of you."

"I like favors. Spill."

"I…need you to go…shopping for me." I held the phone away from my ear as Alice's excited squeal filled the room.

"Ahh! What time should I come and get you? Edward told me where you two are staying."

"Uh, here's the catch. Your brother didn't really pack any clothes for me. I have a pair of sweats and his shirt. And half of my supplies, which may come in handy later." She squealed again.

"Perfect! I'll go right now! JASPER! Sorry, sweetie, but I can't this morning! I have to shop for Bella tonight! I know! I promise to make it up to you!" This was easier than I thought. And then I said the four words I knew I was never able to take back.

"I trust you, Alice."

"See you in a few hours!" She hung up and I set the phone on the counter. Remembering what I had promised Edward, I readjusted the towel and braced myself.

"Alright, bucko. Your turn." I heard another thud and smiled.

"Door one! I choose door one!" Edward's excited voice said from the other side of the door. Realizing I hadn't made up any so-called prizes for the man, I simply opened the door. Edward stumbled in and caught himself on the door. His breath caught in a low hiss and his infamous grin appeared on his face.

"I enjoy door number one. A lot." He twirled his finger in a circle, silently asking me to spin. I did, a small smile on my face the entire time. He pulled me against him and buried his face in my hair. He rocked slowly side to side and we were dancing into the bedroom. He murmured something in my hair and sighed. I held him tighter and stiffened when I felt a new sensation on my skin.

"Edward," I whispered. He made a noise of acknowledgement. I swallowed quickly and continued.

"This wasn't exactly part of the prize, but…my towel is slipping."

**EPOV**

I stared at the name on the screen of the phone. Alice. I scrolled back down and rolled my eyes. She had called four times after I had talked to her last night. I wondered what she wanted, since she didn't leave any messages. I flipped the phone shut and settled back against the cushions of the couch. Bella was humming softly in the shower and I grabbed the remote for the television, trying to keep my mind off of the images that were floating in my head. Nothing held my interest, unlike the woman currently occupying the bathroom. I desperately tried to keep my calm as I heard the shower turn off and then seconds later, the bathroom door open. _She couldn't have gotten dressed that fast…_

"Edward…" Her voice was muffled, but I could hear her perfectly. I turned the volume up on the television, trying-and failing-to distract myself.

"What?"

"Come here for a moment, please." _Please….please, be dressed. _I had to concentrate on walking slowly, not appearing too anxious to see her. I got to the bathroom and saw her hiding behind the door. She wasn't dressed. Oh no. I noticed her staring at my chest, and couldn't help but feel a little smug.

"Yes?" I gave her a wicked grin, attempting to mask the…primitive…urges I was currently feeling. I was so surprised. I hadn't had feelings, let alone thoughts, like this about a woman since high school.

The rest of the conversation was just as difficult. She needed Alice's number and I suddenly had leverage. Following my gut, I asked what I would get in return, trying to dazzle her. She gave me two options but no specifics. I smiled like a school boy and raced to my phone. She closed the door when I handed her the phone and I lightly hit my head on the bathroom door. I waited, listening. She needed clothes. I felt like an idiot. I hadn't packed her anything. Alice agreed to go shop for her, obviously, and I waited. I heard the phone snap shut and I grew impatient. I chose door number one and she opened the door, wrapped in a white towel and nothing else. Oh dear god, the woman was ridiculous. I almost lost it. I fell into the room slightly but caught myself and stared at the miraculous woman in front of me. I knew she was beautiful, but there was something about how she looked now, besides the fact that she was practically naked, that made her so much more than beautiful. I was ashamed of being so animalistic in my thoughts before. The way she was now, all I wanted to do was hold her, to make her happy, to be with her.

I gestured with my finger to have her circle around and she did. She was so trusting. When she completed the circle I pulled her to my chest, holding her tight and burying my face in her hair. I held her like that for some time and began to sway, slow dancing with her into the bedroom. I felt her pulling against me, holding me tighter. I couldn't believe it. I happily obliged, holding her tight. She said my name, pulling me out of the trance that I was falling into.

"This wasn't exactly part of the prize, but…my towel is slipping." I froze as she whispered against my chest. I released her and looked straight up. I forced myself to remember the shame I felt from before and the need to make her happy. I heard her walk into the bathroom and lightly close the door. She came back out in the shirt I had given her the other night.

"This was door number two." She laughed. She wasn't upset. I smiled and offered her my hand. Breakfast came while she was in the shower, and I planned on spending it with her by my side.

**Watch yourself if you don't review. The ghost is waiting for my signal...**


	11. Makeover

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. FOUR CHAPTERS, PEOPLE! FOUR! COUNT THEM! You probably can on one hand. **

**BPOV**

Edward paused the movie we rented when we both heard a loud knock on the door. I got up, giving Edward a quick glimpse of my backside. It was covered, but by the bottom of Edward's college shirt. Knowing was going to be getting a change of clothes fairly quickly, I didn't want to put my clothes on. Not that I really enjoyed prancing around the hotel suite in nothing but a shirt, I enjoyed knowing I was annoying the hell out of Edward and trying his patience to the max. He groaned and covered his face with a pillow when I bent down to grab the remote controller I knocked to the floor. It was a game I invented that day and I knew that sometime in the near future, I'd be doing this again. I answered the door and was suddenly used as a shelf.

"Hold these, I have to get some more from the cart. Do you know what you do to me when you say you trust me?" Alice cackled and pulled the cart into the suite. Edward didn't even move on the couch, his eyes peeled to the screen. It almost looked…desperate.

"Holy jeez! Bella! Cover yourself up, for crying out loud! Your ass is hanging out in the breeze!" My face burned with the intensity of my blush. I pulled my shirt down, mumbling apologies to both of them.

"It's not like I haven't seen a stranger's ass before. Remember the first time I met Rosalie, Edward? Whoo boy, that was one hell of an experience. Let's get you to the bedroom, chica, so I can work my magic. I told Mom we'd meet them at quarter to seven for drinks. So we only have five hours to make you look presentable." I didn't know why the Cullen's were the only people to drag me around like a rag doll, but I didn't put up any fuss. Alice sat me down on the bed in the bathroom and stared at me, like some kind of predator, and I was the helpless prey.

"So, I got you several options for tonight, but I need to know some things before I decide what you are going to wear. So, tell me. What, exactly, is your relationship with Edward?" Again, she stared me down.

"Well, I don't really know. I like him. A lot. Too much. But we haven't really talked about it. We aren't, officially, anything. I think. It's so confusing, Alice. I really don't know what he wants or what I want." Alice listened intently as I spilled my guts. I could tell that the wheels were turning in her mind and she decided what I was going to wear.

"Hmm, so to me, it sounds like you need to wear something that will get him to decide what he wants, and what you are. I know exactly what to do." Alice left the room in a flurry and I heard her and Edward arguing in the other room. He wanted to know what she was doing to me. I couldn't help but laugh, which he heard. He came into the room and stared at me. He crossed the room and pulled me into a quick hug.

"Don't listen to a word she says." He cautioned. I wasn't sure why, but he seemed so nervous that I was going to be spending so much time with his sister. He stared me down and crushed his lips against mine with so much force that it almost hurt. I was so confused. I liked kissing him, but his urgency worried me. I pulled back and put my hand on his cheek, trying to calm him. I kissed him, slowly, and smiled at him to relax him.

"Go watch a movie Edward. I'll be fine and you can come in whenever you get lonely." I winked at him and pushed him toward the door. He chuckled and relaxed. Alice came back into the room with a dress that I couldn't really see. She held it out to me and I couldn't help but gasp. It was beautiful. The dress was a royal blue strapless dress with an empire waist. It was a light chiffon and knee-length. It was simple, elegant, and stunning. Alice had me in the dress in seconds and before I could look at myself she had me in the bathroom and was doing my hair. She put some hair curlers in, ignoring my complaints. My hair was incapable of holding a curl, but Alice didn't listen. She left the curlers in to work their magic and she began working on my makeup. According to her it was 'natural,' but there was no way that that much product could possibly look natural. She took the curlers out after she finished the makeup and to my utter shock, cascades of curls fell around my face. She pinned some of the hair back and left it looking very relaxed. I finally got to look in the mirror and was completely shocked at the final product.

I never thought I was beautiful, but I really couldn't deny it. I actually looked good. The dress was beautiful and Alice had really done an amazing job with my hair and makeup. I turned to her and gave her a quick hug. I looked at my watch and saw that it was already 6:30. There was no way that that much time had passed, but with Alice's constant line of chatter, the time flew by.

"Alice, are you done with her yet? I'm so bored." Edward whined from the main room. I giggled at him and Alice smiled with judgmental eyes. I was sure she thought more of our relationship than I let on, but at the moment I didn't really care. I walked out the bathroom quickly and saw Edward standing on the balcony of the hotel. He had changed, too. Somehow I missed it. He looked amazing. He was wearing black slacks that showed how long his muscular legs really were and a crisp, white button up shirt. The top button wasn't done and the sleeves were rolled up, and he looked so casually handsome. I couldn't handle it. I stood there staring for a moment and decided to try to sneak up on him on the balcony.

As if he knew what I was thinking, he turned to face away from the door that he had left open. I slipped through the doorway and the slight breeze felt nice. I walked up behind him as quietly as possible and wrapped my arms around his waist. I felt him stiffen and then relax. I rested my head on his back.

"Hey stranger." I whispered to him, feeling that full volume would just ruin the moment. He turned slowly to face me and I heard his breath catch when he saw the result of Alice's talents.

"Wow. You look amazing." He raked his eyes over my whole ensemble and put his hands on my arms. I smiled at him and returned the compliment.

"You don't look too bad yourself. You really shouldn't be so handsome, it's not fair." He chuckled as his eyes continued to burn. He leaned forward and began to kiss me. Unlike our last encounter, he gently kissed me. It was the best kiss we had shared yet. It was so gentle, so caring. I turned to putty in his arms and I felt them tighten around me as my knees buckled out. He broke the kiss and stared down at me, smiling wide. I let him hold me for some time before Alice cleared her throat behind me.

"Ahem. You're going to ruin her make-up and she hasn't even had it on for more than ten minutes! Jazzy is picking us up in a few. I have to quick touch-up my hair." Alice grinned and squeaked loudly when Edward grabbed her arm, yanking her back. She glared at him, letting out a loud huff.

"What the hell, Edward?"

"Jasper is driving? I thought we were all taking separate cars."

"Is that what's bothering you? Jeez, Edward, you really need to take some time off and really think over your priorities. Take your own damn car, then. Let go, Jasper will kill you if you leave marks on me." Edward released her immediately and his hand hung limply next to his body. Alice shook her head, rolled her eyes at me and retreated inside.

"Come on. We should get there early, get the introductions over and done with." He said gruffly and tugged on my hand.

The restaurant was simply breathtaking. I thought the hotel was elegant, it looked like a EconoLodge compared to this place. It seemed like you needed to have a wad of cash in your pocket to even be admitted here. The maitre de hurried over to us the minute we entered.

"Mr. Cullen! May I take your coats? Your parents are waiting for you in the bar. Are Ms. Alice and Mr. Jasper arriving soon?"

"I wouldn't know. They took their own vehicle," Edward said curtly and stalked off. I hurried behind him, completely and utterly embarrassed at his reaction.

"Edward, stop it already. This is ridiculous! You all but bit that poor man's head off!"

"He'll be fine. My parents are regulars here." He pulled me forward, but I dug my heels into the plush carpet. Damn him, I was going to get an explanation for this behavior.

"Bella," He warned, his eyes dark. I crossed my arms across my chest and tapped my foot. Cursing under his breath, Edward stalked in front of me, resembling a jungle cat. If I didn't keep my mind on his behavior, I would've dragged him bodily from the building and jumped his bones the minute we got outside.

"No, Edward. I don't know what's going on with you right now, but seriously. It's getting old. If it's because Alice hijacked me and nearly tortured me for five hours, or because whatever is in your house is getting to you finally, don't take it out on me or anyone else. They don't deserve it." I hissed, glancing at the couples that slowed to see what was going on. I gasped as I was pressed against the wall, a seething Edward inches from me. His breath was hot on my skin.

"I don't know what the hell is going on with me. I just found out that my house is haunted with some fucking evil spirit destined to do something dangerous to me or you, my family is on my case about this and I have to spend every waking moment with you! God damnit, Bella! It isn't fair!" Pain pierced through me and I struggled for air.

"What?" I wheezed, feeling hyperventilation coming soon. He glared at me for another moment before crushing himself against me with a loud, surrendering groan. At first, I struggled. It didn't make any sense. He _hated_ me. He said it, but in not so many words. But what was he doing now? I felt his desperation, and tried to sooth. He began trembling against me and let out a quiet whimper. I pulled back slowly and cupped his face between my hands. I hushed him and brushed my lips against his cheeks.

"We'll talk later, sweet, but right now, people are starting to stare and I don't want to ruin your parent's reputation here." I whispered against his neck. I felt him nod and I was placed gently back on the ground.

**You know what'll make me really happy? You know what'll make you really happy? Writing a review. Simple as that. That way, I get psyched up from reading your comments and then I write more. Then you'll know what happens later in the story. It's a win-win situation. GET TO IT! Haha...**


	12. Dinner

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all life. And Twilight. She owns that as well. **

**BPOV**

I spotted Emmett and Rosalie the minute we entered the bar. Emmett waved wildly at me, motioning us over. Edward tightened his grip on my hand and lead me towards them.

"Hi Bella!" Emmett said, his face glowing in smile. I smiled back and squeaked when he engulfed me in a hug.

"'Sup, Ed?" He laughed as he released me. Edward shrugged his shoulders and hooked his arm around my waist. Emmett noticed this and raised an eyebrow. Rosalie murmured her greeting and looked around, her expression a tad aloof. That took me by surprise. I had expected that Rosalie wanted to be the center of attention everywhere she went. She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed.

"Edward! And this must be Bella!" A woman called out from behind Edward. We both turned around and I met Edward's mother. She was attractive and graceful, hanging on the arm of a blonde god. I knew that it was weird to find Edward's father attractive, but he was. His stance was a mirror-image of Edward's and I realized where he got it from. But the odd thing was, they seemed too young to have children as old as Edward, Emmett and Alice. And they really didn't look a lot like their children, either.

"Mom, this is Bella. Bella, this is my beautiful mother, Esme Cullen. And my father, Carlisle." I gaped at the two for a few seconds before shaking myself out of my daze.

"I've heard a lot about you, from Edward. It's nice to finally meet you," Esme smiled warmly at me and Carlisle reached forward to shake my hand. The two could really have been out of a magazine. They made me feel so comfortable and welcome. I laughed internally at how nervous I had been. I looked at Edward as I spoke and noticed he was staring off, looking more and more furious as the seconds passed.

"Well I hope he hasn't said anything to make me sound too crazy. It is so nice to meet you two." I smiled the most genuine smile I could muster, trying not be too distracted by Edward's obvious mood swing. We stood for a moment in silence until Edward motioned to a seat for me as Carlisle did the same for Esme. Carlisle whispered something to Esme and she looked from me, to Edward, then back to Carlisle with a what seemed to be a worried expression. I looked at Edward and his face was absolutely grim. I stared at him until I got his attention and he stared back and me. If I didn't know any better, I would think he absolutely hated me. I shook off the thought, but I knew it was going to come back and haunt me later.

"You're a paranormal investigator? That's an interesting career choice," Esme commented, breaking the silence that had fallen. I cleared my throat, reaching for Edward's hand under the table. His fingers were limp in mine, but I didn't mind.

"It is. I've always been interested in ghosts and unexplained occurrences."

"Rosalie is a big fan of your books. I've read most of them and I have to say, I'm extremely jealous of you. I've always wanted to travel the world, but with Carlisle's busy schedule at the hospital and all, I haven't been able to get a real look at my surroundings. Maybe the next time you leave the country, you can give me a call." Esme winked and took a sip of wine. I laughed, immediately liking Edward's mother. I picked up on the fact about Carlisle's occupation.

"You're a doctor, too? Is that a family tradition or something? Was your father a doctor as well?" I asked, glancing between the two men.

"Actually, no. My father was a pastor and didn't really enjoy the fact that I didn't follow in his footsteps. And Edward grew up in the hospital, spending time playing piano in the children's ward. That's where I found him and his siblings,"

"What?" I was confused by what Carlisle had said. Esme let out a annoyed breath.

"You didn't tell her? Edward…" She chastised him.

"Didn't tell me what? Didn't tell me what?" I repeated quickly, staring up at Edward. His expression had changed during my conversation with his parents and he actually looked normal.

"Emmett, Alice and I were adopted by Carlisle and Esme, after our parents were killed." He said quietly. Alice acted like she wasn't paying attention, but the pain was evident on her face. Emmett was busy plucking at a button on his shirt.

"Really? Oh, Edward, I'm sorry," I whispered, rubbing my thumb over his knuckles.

"It's okay. I was five at the time, so I don't remember much. Alice, on the other hand, was only three. Em was six and was the one who found them. We've all gotten over it in our own way. We're fine now, since we have new parents." He smiled sweetly at Esme and she blushed delicately.

"If you don't mind me asking, but how did your parents die?" Knowing this new fact, I could piece together some new theories about what was going on back at Edward's house. He closed his eyes briefly and shifted in his seat.

"It was a Saturday, I remember that. Our grandparents came over to get us; we were spending the weekend with them to give our parents a break. From what I found out later, there had been a robbery. My father went down to see what was going on and was shot, twice. My mother was shot three times, after she came to investigate the noise.

Emmett had forgotten something, and asked our grandfather if he could go back and get it. Of course Em got everything he asked for and soon they were on their way back home. The man had left our house, after stealing most of our possessions. They were already gone when Emmett found them." Alice excused herself from the table, Jasper hurried after her. Emmett was signaling the waiter to bring him another drink, Rosalie rubbing his arm affectionately. I sat, stunned.

"We went from foster home to foster home and one day, Emmett decided to pick a fight with one of the kids at our foster home and got the shit knocked out of him." Edward grinned wickedly at his older brother, dodging a quick blow.

"Well, I dragged Alice with me to go find a book to read or something and I found the piano. My mom taught me and then found me a teacher. I began playing and that's when Carlisle found us. He took us home that evening and four months later, we were Cullens." Esme discreetly wiped her eyes with a napkin, while I let mine roll down my cheeks, unnoticed.

"So your full name is?" I asked, my voice quiet.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, at your service. You have Emmett McCarty Masen Cullen and Mary Alice Masen Cullen Whitlock, a mouthful, I know." I nodded, at a loss for words. They had been through so much together and when they thought the worst was over, it all came back. I now understood Alice's urgency for me to go to the house.

"Too much for one night?" Carlisle asked, filling my wine glass up. I shook my head. It was exactly what I needed to hear.

"What about your parents, Bella? What are they like?" Still thinking about Edward's past, it took me a minute to respond.

"They're divorced. They separated when I was seven. My mom Renee moved to Phoenix, where I lived for several years. She's a kindergarten teacher in Jacksonville, Florida, where she lives now. My dad, Charlie, is the police chief in Forks, where I moved to when I was seventeen. Renee remarried when I was eighteen, Charlie doesn't really believe in finding someone new." Carlisle nodded as I spoke.

For the majority of dinner, casual conversation and hilarious sibling banter took place. It was nice, and I actually felt like part of the family. Edward held onto my hand for most of the time but would randomly tense and get very stressed. It was hard to follow, but not entirely problematic. After we had finished dinner and were enjoying an amazing dessert with coffee, Alice asked the golden question.

"So Bella, what's been going on at the house? Anything new?" Edward froze, I tensed and stopped breathing momentarily. I knew that this conversation was going to happen, but I wasn't really ready to explain to them how this haunting had taken an unfortunate turn. I looked at Edward, searching for approval to tell them what was going on. His expression shocked. He was…smiling? I could have slapped him.

"After you all left, it seemed to get worse. Something happened to me in the shower, which is still difficult to understand." I stalled, trying to find the words to describe the event.

"'Atta boy, Edward! Didn't know you had it in you!" Emmett laughed, slapping his brother on the back. Edward growled at him.

"Ignore him, Bella, and continue." Rosalie said, covering Emmett's mouth with her hand.

"The water turned into blood and the shower curtain fused to the wall. I couldn't get out and I almost drowned. Edward cut me out of it." I stuttered quickly, eyes downcast. The silence was instantaneous.

"A near-drowning in your shower? Seriously?" Alice hissed, her eyes wide in fear. I squeezed Edward's hand for support and peeked at him from the corner of my eye. _Was that a smirk on his face?_ I thought to myself. _It couldn't have been a smirk, maybe a grimace. A grimace, yea…that's what that was…_I reassured myself. I decided to continue explaining what had happened.

"After that, things got a little worse. The same occurrences continued: footsteps, door slams, voices. Then one night, a spirit came into Edward and my room-" I was cut off by snickers coming from Emmett.

"You guys _sleep _together? Nicely done!" Rosalie, once again, slapped Emmett and covered his mouth. I hid the feelings that pummeled me when I realized how much I liked sleeping with Edward.

"So anyway, a spirit came into the room. Well actually, before the spirit came into the room I felt something tickling my feet. I thought it was Edward, but it wasn't. Suddenly the sheets ripped up and began swirling like a tornado above the bed. The spirit started pulling us towards the black hole that it had created. It threw me to the ceiling and was pummeling me against the walls like a rag doll when Edward turned the bedroom light on. Everything stopped and disappeared. We decided it would be a good idea for us to leave for a few days to see if things called down."

I looked around the table and saw a mix of emotions: anger, shock, and terror were the most prominent. And then I looked at Edward. He wasn't any of those, but he seemed to be reminiscing as if the story I just told were along the lines of praising him. He seemed to be pleased with himself! I gasped, and he looked down at me, and my jaw dropped in horror. His eyes were completely black and glazed over. Behind his eyes I saw the emotions I was expecting, and his eyes flickered between the two Edwards that I was now facing. As I tried to figure out what the hell was going on, I gasped, absolutely horrified. Everything was crystal clear.

**Dum dum dummmmmmmm! What the ef? FIND OUT MORE IF YOU REVIEW! MUHAHAHA!**


	13. Bathroom

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all of Twilight.  
Sorry about the wait, dear readers, but I was out of town this weekend and all last week, I was chasing 4th and 5th graders around at camp and my brain stopped working. Here you go, sorry it's short.**

**BPOV**

I quickly excused myself from the table and hurried to the bathroom. I pulled out my phone and punched in the familiar numbers. I paced in front of the stalls and after hearing the door open, I slid into one and sat down on the toilet.

"Bella? What's going on? You haven't talked to me in a few days," Angela's curious voice asked.

"It's bad, Ang. Much worse than I expected." The women who entered walked over to the stalls and got into the ones on either side of mine. I lowered my voice, nearing a whisper.

"Spill the goods," Angela said immediately and I could picture her going into investigator mood. I told her about the voice phenomenon, the slamming doors. She asked me to go into extreme detail about the shower incident and then the attack in the bedroom.

"Is that all?"

"No, those things are child's play compared to what's going on now." My voice shook with the force of emotions flowing through me. I hadn't noticed if the women had left or not, I wasn't really paying much attention to them.

"Stop leaving me in the dark, Isabella Marie Swan." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

"I think Edward is possessed."

"What do you mean he's possessed?" Both Angela and a high-pitched voice squealed. The door to my stall was ripped open and Alice stood in front of me. Rosalie stood behind her, her beautiful features twisted in a mask of horror. I was confused and conflicted at the situation unfolding in the bathroom. Angela was talking to me, but all I could hear was a low buzzing sound. In the end, my emotions got the best of me and I began to cry. I wept out my frustration, sobbed out my terror. Once my tears somewhat subsided, I picked my phone up. I kept my eyes on Edward's sisters, hoping they could be of use to me in the future.

"Angela, please do me a huge favor. I need you and Ben to drive up here and help me out. It's starting to get out of hand."

"Can do. Anything else?"

"Find me everything you can on performing an exorcism. We don't have any time to waste. Call me when you're on the road."

"Bella, it's going to be okay. _He's_ going to be okay. I'll see you in a few days." I hung up without another word and let out a long breath. Alice was visibly shaking in front of me, her jaw clenched tight.

"What do you mean Edward is possessed?" She gritted out between her teeth. I gripped her shoulders, hard, and stared into her eyes.

"It means that the Edward you all know and love is in danger. Whatever is in him isn't good. For the time being, that…that _thing_ out there isn't your brother. He's a shell of his old self." That fact hit Alice hard and she crumpled to the ground. I followed her and held her tight. I had already shown weakness, and now it was time for me to be strong. This family needed someone who was strong. Rosalie rested limply against the sinks, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Alice, please listen to me. Edward is going to be perfectly fine. You need to be strong for him, strong for Emmett. You three have been through hell and back and survived. Edward needs that love right now and I know how close you are to him, how hard it is to know he isn't there, but you have to put that in the back of your mind and focus on getting him back. I'll be right there beside him and you and I won't leave until he's back. I promise you." I whispered fiercely in her ear, a lump growing in my throat. I swallowed, trying to get it down. Alice nodded weakly, her arms still around me. Rosalie joined us and we grieved together. They grieved over a loss of their brother, while I grieved over the loss of the man I had gone and fallen in love with.


	14. Complete Change

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer created Twilight.  
**

**Next chapter is on its way, do not fret! Please read and review, I get all bubbly inside when I open up my email and see that I have review alerts. You all deserve big huge Emmett hugs. And I bet you could imagine what those would feel like...**

**BPOV**

The three of us stayed in the bathroom for a few more minutes, splashing cold water on our faces. Alice re-touched all of our make-up, without a word. I was grateful for that, because after crying for that long of a time, I must've looked like a mess. Alice gripped my hand hard as we left the tiny room and headed back towards the table. Edward was talking to Emmett, and from what I saw, looked normal. I breathed a sigh of relief as I sat down next to him. He turned around immediately and grinned, his eyes glowing with happiness.

"Hello again," He murmured softly. I blushed and reached for my water glass. Alice stiffened next to me, but I gave her a look. She relaxed and leaned against Jasper. At this exact moment, I knew I didn't have to worry about Possessed Edward. This was the Edward I knew. His eyes narrowed as he searched my face. His thumb rubbed gently under my left eye, noticing the puffiness.

"Were you crying?" He asked. I didn't want to answer, but I sniffled, blowing my cover. His hands cupped my face lovingly and he kissed my forehead. I glanced around the table and saw that his family was politely looking the other way, all except for Emmett. He had a huge smile on his face. I laughed and Edward pulled back, his hands still on my face.

"Do you want to go back to the hotel?" I shook my head, wanting to commit this evening to memory, just in case something was to go wrong.

"No, not yet." I spent the rest of the evening with the Cullen family, laughing so hard at Emmett's antics that my sides actually hurt. When Edward noticed the huge yawn I tried to hold back, he announced that we were leaving. I said my goodbyes, hugging each of them, spending a little more time on Alice. Edward tugged on my hand and pulled me close as we left the restaurant. Apparently he had gone through some serious manner training, probably taught by Esme. He was a true gentleman, something I had not seen before. He opened the passenger door for me, helped me into his vehicle and buckled me in. He held my hand the entire drive back to the hotel, and as we walked through the lobby. He paused in front of the hotel's bar, and dragged me into it. There were three couples left, talking quietly in a corner. The bartender was cleaning up, restocking his supplies.

"Ahh, excellent." Edward said, pointing to the other side of the room. A glossy black grand piano sat unattended, its ivory keys glowing in the low light.

"I don't think you can play this, Edward." I whispered as Edward slid onto the bench. He patted the spot next to him and I sat, nestling close to him. His fingers glided over the keys, randomly playing chords.

"Why not?" He began playing a song that I instantly recognized. It was a Ben Folds song, Zak and Sara. Edward sang along, his actions getting more and more animated as the song progressed. By the end, I was laughing and the couples in the bar gave him a standing ovation. Edward grinned crookedly and my heart did a lazy flip in my chest. Edward plunked out some random bits of songs and chords and finally settled on a song. I had always been a fan of Gavin DeGraw, but the way Edward was singing his song ruined Gavin for me. I would never be able to listen to another one of his songs without picturing the way Edward sang it in my head. As the beginning notes of More Than Anyone were played, I was hypnotized by the man next to me. We locked eyes, and it felt like there were no other people in the room. The song ended and Edward grabbed my hand, gently pulling me to the elevators. We wrapped our arms around each other. The ride up was too fast, in my opinion, but Edward kept his arms around me as we entered our room.

"Do you want anything to drink?" He asked quietly. I shook my head, trying desperately to hold back a yawn.

"No. I'm actually thinking about taking a shower and going to bed." I stretched my arms up over my head. Edward smiled, letting go of me.

"Be careful. I don't think I could handle another near-death experience." I laughed tiredly and went into the bathroom, not noticing the immediate change in his expression and how his eyes turned pitch black. I turned the shower on and was beginning to undress when the door slammed open and Edward stormed in. I wrapped a towel around me and spun around.

"Edward! What are you doing in here?"

"Get on the bed." He growled and stalked towards me. I was shocked at his behavior and stayed where I was.

"I said, get on the god damn bed!" He roared and grabbed my arm, his fingers squeezing like a vise. I cried out and dug my heels into the floor, but the tiles were slippery and I fell, landing hard on my hip. Pain shot through me and I bit my lip, but a whimper escaped.

"Let go of me!" I said through gritted teeth. His fingers tightened and yanked me up high, my feet dangling above the floor. I looked down at Edward and gasped when I saw his black eyes. The Edward from before had been replaced. His other hand wrapped around my throat, slowly squeezing. My eyes grew wide and I began to struggle. Panic coursed through me.

"Edward, let me down!" I gasped, pulling desperately at his hand. His jaw clenched and he began to shake. He dropped me and left. I wheezed, catching my breath. My body radiated in pain. I laid on the tiles for a moment, composing myself. I let out a scream when Edward came back in and grabbed my ankles, pulling me across the floor. My hands searched for something to hold onto, but it was useless. He threw me onto the bed and landed on top of me. He was breathing hard, muttering under his breath. Reasoning with whatever was in him was out of the question at the moment; I was terrified of what was happening. I had seen my fair share of possessions, but nothing at powerful as this one. Deciding playing submissive was the best course of action, I went limp under him and closed my eyes. I reminded myself what was happening wasn't coming from Edward, but what was inside of him. But something in me wept, knowing that the first time I was going to be with Edward would be permanently stained. Crawling into the depths of my mind, I detached myself from my surroundings and became a shell.


	15. Discovery

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. **

**I LOVE YOU ALL! EEK! I had over twenty emails in my inbox today and I absolutely love your comments! Especially about the mix between Twilight, Ghost Hunters and X-Files. I love watching Ghost Hunters and that's where I got the inspiration for this story. Enjoy!**

**EPOV**

I woke up, my head pounding. My stomach rolled nauseatingly and I hurried to the bathroom, barely making it in time. I violently threw up, clutching the sides of the toilet with all my might. I stood up, my legs wobbly underneath me. I rinsed my mouth out and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked normal, a little pale, but other than that, I looked like me. But why didn't I feel like me? I wandered back into the bedroom and noticed that Bella wasn't in it. The sheets were a mess and what looked like blood covered random spots. It was strange, I didn't remember going to bed or even entering the hotel room last night. _Maybe I drank a little too much at dinner_, I reassured myself that that was the truth. I shuffled out into the main room and was startled to see Bella curled up on the couch, a blanket engulfing her. I checked the time, not wanting to wake her up too early. I slowly walked towards her and knelt in front, pulling the blanket down from her face. The air in my lungs escaped in a loud whoosh. A deep, dark bruise encircled her neck, while what looked like bite marks dotted her chin and shoulders. I tugged the blanket all the way off and cursed. Bella woke with a start and instantly cringed when she saw me.

"What the hell happened to you, Bella?" I gasped, waving at her mangled body. Bruises wrapped around her wrists and arms, scratch marks lined her legs and part of her exposed stomach. And it looked as if her bottom lip was split.

"This? This…is from the other night…when I was thrown against the ceiling," Bella stammered, reaching for the blanket. I shook my head hard.

"I didn't see this last night. I would've remembered that." When she didn't say anything, I moved closer to her and took her hands in mine.

"Who did this to you?" I asked quietly, looking at her. She closed her eyes and took one of her hands from mine. She grabbed my hand and raised it to her neck. She wrapped it around the bruised skin and opened her eyes. I stared at her in horror. She brought my hand to her wrists, repeating the same action.

"You did. You did this, Edward." She whispered, tears filling her brown eyes. I felt as though someone kicked me in the stomach. I stumbled backwards and landed on my butt, my jaw nearly touched the floor. She followed me, exposing more and more of her injured body. Every inch of her was covered in ugly bruises and scratches.

"No I didn't. I wouldn't do this to any human being."

"But you did. I was there, Edward. And I know why you did it." She crawled next to me, placing her hands on either side of my face. I turned away, unable to look at her. She gently nudged my head, and reluctantly I responded, but I refused to meet her eyes.

"Look at me, Edward. I need you to look at me when I tell you this."

"Tell me what?"

"I didn't think that it was going to be this bad, but it is. You've been possessed, Edward. God, I'm so sorry. This wasn't the way I had planned to tell you about it. I was going to tell you today, later-" I stopped paying attention to her and let what she said process in my head. Possessed? I was possessed? What the hell?

"Let go of me!" A sense of déjà vu overcame me and a flash of Bella's terrified face came into my mind. A red haze filled my vision and I let out a yelp. _This is what it feels like to be possessed? _I violently shook my head and stood up. Bella flinched, shielding her face with her hands. I felt sick to my stomach, knowing I made her react like that.

"Jesus, Bella! I'm not going to touch you! What did you expect when you told me I'm fucking possessed? A god damn hug?!" I paced around the room, running my hands through my hair. Bella sat on the floor, watching me intently, waiting for my next move. I stopped walking when I thought back to last night.

"Does my family know?" Fresh pain filled Bella's face as she nodded.

"Only Rose and Alice. They overheard me talking to Angela in the bathroom when I figured it out. I don't think they told Emmett or Jasper, but I know for a fact that your parents do not know."

"Was that why you looked like you were crying?" She nodded again. I collapsed on the couch, completely drained.

"I promise you, Edward, we're going to figure this out. I'm going to do everything in my power to rid you of whatever is inside of you. If it takes a few days or years, I'm not leaving you or your family." Bella said, reaching over to touch my hand. I saw the emotions on her face, knew that I had the mirror-image on my own. My eyes burned and I bit my quivering lip. I hung my head and felt the hot tears roll down my cheeks.

**Please review! I want to break 50 by the end of the week!**


	16. Excited Author's Note

Excited squeal time, everyone! Twilight is opening three weeks earlier. THREE WEEKS, PEOPLE! NOVEMBER 21 INSTEAD OF DECEMBER 12!

HOLY MOLY!

SQUEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL!!

Over. New chapter up soon…


	17. Family Matters

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. This is probably the longest chapter I've written, probably will be the longest of the entire story. Sorry about the wait. I've been spewing out other stories, which you should read. You are truly loyal readers and I hope I write and live up to your standards. I grin every time I open my inbox and see all the alerts. I love you all.**

**This is a weird one. Hopefully you like it and understand it. It's pretty angsty and messed up.**

**Enjoy.**

**BPOV**

I watched in silent agony as Edward wept on the couch. There was nothing I could do at that moment to make him feel any better. It was time for him to face his inner demon, literally. As the shock and fury wore off in him, Edward slid to the ground next to me, his eyes red and puffy. Edward sighed and rested his head on my shoulder. I absentmindedly ran my fingers through his hair.

"I think I want to tell my family…about…this." I nodded in agreement.

"That's probably a good idea. They'll be your biggest supporters when it's time to get rid of this thing."

"You'll stay with me?" He asked, his voice sounding pathetic. My heart broke a little. My once strong and valiant Edward was now reduced to this sad shell of a man.

"Absolutely. You want me to call Alice?" I got off the ground, searching for his cell phone. My stomach dropped as I walked into the bedroom, images from last night flooding my mind. I knew that Edward wasn't the one who did it, but it still was uncomfortable. The phone was on the nightstand and I snatched it, leaving the room quickly. Of course, Alice was speed dial one. I assumed she had programmed the phone. She answered on the second ring.

"Alice? It's Bella. Do you think you could gather the troops and bring them to our hotel room? Edward wants to tell everyone about his…predicament."

"We'll be there in twenty minutes. Everyone spent the night at my house. And no, Rosalie and I didn't say a word."

"Thanks, from the both of us."

"Bella? He'll be fine, right? Now that we know what's wrong. You can fix it, can't you?" Hearing the desperation and fear in her voice made me nearly lose it. I promised to be strong for this family and it was really testing my will.

"I hope so, Alice, I hope so." I hung up and slumped against the wall. And that's how Edward found me.

"Is something wrong? Did I do something to one of them? Oh God, I did, didn't I?"

"No, no! You didn't do anything to your family last night! Alice was just asking me something and I don't have the perfect answer for her. They'll be here in twenty minutes or so." Edward appeared to be relieved, knowing his family was safe.

"What do I say? It's not your average, everyday kind of problem. I'm _possessed_." I shook my head, at a loss for words.

"I guess you should just tell them that. Make it as quick and painless as possible. Like pulling off a band-aid."

"Sounds simple now," He grumbled and stalked off. I went into the bathroom, to get ready for his family to arrive. It wasn't soon after I emerged, somewhat refreshed and calm, when there was a knock on the door. I hurried over to answer it. The entire Cullen clan stood in the hallway, with Alice in the front, nervously wringing her hands. She stalled for a moment, glancing at my strange attire. I dressed in long sleeves and wrapped a scarf around my neck, hopefully hiding a majority of the bruises I received last night. She narrowed her eyes and I shook my head briefly. She nodded slowly, knowing full well I'd have to explain it to her later.

"Edward is around here somewhere, I'll go find him. Why don't you all just go make yourselves comfortable in the living room. Kitchen is right over there, help yourself." I ushered them in and shut the door behind them, feeling eerily like I was locking us into our own personal prison. Edward wasn't in the kitchen, or in the living room. I checked the bathroom and began to grow suspicious. As I started to leave the bedroom, I noticed that the closet door was ajar. I nudged it open and found Edward curled up in the corner, his eyes closed.

"I've changed my mind, Bella." He said quietly, pulling his knees up closer to his chest.

"About what?" I crouched down, not entering the closet.

"Telling them. I don't want them know. They don't need any more stress in their lives. You and I can deal with this on our own."

"Edward, be reasonable for a moment. They're your family. They want to help you."

"But I don't want them to. Leave them out of this, Bella. We'll go away somewhere, I don't know, Antarctica or something and get this thing out of me. But I won't drag them into this. They've seen too much already." His voice broke at the end and he struggled for composure. I crawled in next to him, framing his tortured face with my hands. I waited for him to open his eyes before I spoke.

"You are going to need all the love and support you can get when the time comes, believe me. You are damn lucky you have people like this in your life. I've seen people go through this alone and they were never the same afterwards. Alice is all but ready to fight this thing by herself. I won't let her, but you get the idea." I smiled slightly, internally pleased that I saw a ghost of a grin on his face.

"I know I sound like a broken record nowadays, but I'm being completely serious when I say that I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here twenty-four seven, doing everything I can to make you and your family safe again. If, for some unknown reason they don't stay for you, I will. You mean much more to me than this damn case. I don't even-" Edward silenced me with his lips, his fingers tangling in my hair. The kiss was one of fear and hope, desire and revulsion. Revulsion because the last time he kissed me was last night, when he wasn't himself. I knew it hurt him as much as it hurt me, but I put that in the back of my mind and focused solely on the man in front of me. I climbed onto his lap, wrapping my legs around his waist. He broke off, catching his breath, and then started kissing the length of my neck. We both groaned, a little too loudly, because Emmett yelled from the other room.

"What in God's name are you two doing?" I laughed, untangling myself from Edward. I helped him to his feet. I hugged him tightly, pressing a kiss to his chest.

"Breathe, Edward. They're your family. Remember that they love you and want the best for you. You'll be fine." He laced his fingers with mine and walked slowly out of the closest.

It was pretty intimidating sight, with his entire family watching his every move. But you could see the love in the room for him. Esme shot to her feet and hugged her son, murmuring in his ear. He nodded, burying his face in her neck, his shoulders shaking. Carlisle stood, taking Esme's place. Edward clung to his father, the sound of his crying becoming louder. Carlisle was silent, but pain was visible on his face. Carlisle sat back down next to his wife, a comforting arm around her shoulders. I watched as his brothers and sisters huddled around him, a huge Cullen group hug. Each were saying something to him, but it was muffled by the surrounding bodies. Emmett said something that made them all laugh and Alice smack him upside the head. I smiled, settling down on the ground. They finally released their brother and he searched the room wildly. I cleared my throat and his eyes focused on me. I patted a spot of floor next to me, leaning on him when he sat down. He sniffed loudly, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. Alice handed him a tissue, a small smile on her face.

"Thanks," He mumbled, wadding the tissue up in his hand after he used it.

"So. I assume that I don't need to go into an unnecessary monologue, filling you all in on what's happened. But there's one thing Bella recently discovered about the house, about me, actually. And some of know what it is." He took a deep breath, squeezing my hand hard.

"This is going to be hard to swallow but…" His bottom lip trembled, his eyes filled with tears. I gripped his hand, rubbing my thumb over his knuckles.

"I've been possessed by something." His voice came out as barely a whisper. A collective gasp filled the room. Emmett smacked his hand down on the coffee table, causing everyone to jump.

"God damnit, Edward! I told you to get the fuck out of that house! Now look at what it's done to you!" Anger flooded Edward's features, his other hand was balled in a fist.

"You were the one that brought that fucking Quija board that night! I should be blaming you, you asshole! You did this to me!" Edward snarled, wrapping his hands around Emmett's neck. He slammed his brother against wall with a loud thud. Emmett struggled, pulling desperately on Edward's wrists. Jasper jumped up, started to release Emmett. Edward growled, kicking out. His foot landed in Jasper's stomach, making him fall to the ground in a gasping heap. Alice and Rosalie cried out, Esme buried her face in Carlisle's chest, her sobs audible.

"Stop it! Stop it, Edward!" I screamed, running to him. He squeezed his hands tighter, Emmett gagged. I forced his head to face mine. I froze as I saw pure evil in his eyes. His eyes were pitch black, an unearthly grin on his face. I fought for courage and stared directly at him.

"Let go of Emmett, Edward. Right now." He didn't respond. Emmett stopped struggling and hung limp against the wall.

"He's your brother, he loves you. If you keep this up, you'll kill him. Let him go!" Something popped into my mind as I spoke to him. Edward was in there somewhere, but not at the present moment. Going on a limb, I straightened and glared back at him.

"Let him go this instance, Jacob." His hands released Emmett and he sagged to the floor. Rosalie hurried to him, running shaky hands over his body. My insides turned to liquid, my knees knocked together. The voice I had heard on the recorder was the same one emanating from Edward.

"_How dare you talk to me, you insolent bitch!"_ He slapped me across the face. I stumbled backwards, holding a hand to my burning, stinging cheek. I knew I only had a few minutes to talk to Jacob and I wanted to make the best of it.

"Why are you possessing Edward? Why not me? What makes Edward so special?"

"_He is growing weaker every day as I grow stronger. Soon, he will be nothing and I will reign once again._" Edward shook violent and I watched as his eyes switched back to the normal blazing green. He quickly surveyed the room and fled. I stayed and watched the events enfold in front of me.

"Who the hell was that and why did he almost kill my son?" Carlisle said through gritted teeth, eyes brimming with tears.

"I don't know, Carlisle. I have no fucking clue what just happened," I pushed up my sleeves unconsciously and Emmett, wheezing on the ground, spoke up.

"What happened to you?" He rasped, bruises mirroring my own started to form on his neck. I glanced at him and then down at my arms. _Oh shit!_ I screamed in my head. I wanted to leave that one part apart from his family. They had already witnessed enough today, with the almost murder of Emmett. They didn't need this on their plate. I nearly laughed out loud when I realized I sounded exactly like Edward, minutes ago. I took a deep breath, becoming numb, just like last night. My voice sounded different-emotionless, hollow-as I began to talk.

"After we left last night, we came back here. I don't know what triggered it…Jacob, I mean…and," I stalled, my throat tightening.

"What happened, Bella?" Esme asked, her voice pleading. I hated myself, hated this whole damn situation.

"He raped me." I said bluntly. Esme keened loudly and fell back on Carlisle. He wrapped his arms around her and stared at me with pained eyes.

"This Jacob bastard raped you? This is fucking messed up!" Rosalie growled from next to Emmett. Alice hovered over Jasper protectively, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Believe you me, I feel the same god damn way." I suddenly felt exhausted, even though I had only gotten up a few hours ago. It was too early in the day to be dealing with this kind of thing.

"Where is he?" Jasper asked from behind Alice. I rubbed my arm, glancing over my shoulder.

"He's still here, I didn't hear the door open. Are you ready to face him, after what happened here?"

"He's my brother. I love him, want to help him. I don't give a rat's ass that he almost killed Emmett, I know it wasn't him." I nodded, knowing I would need Jasper's quiet loyalty and strength later. I left the room, making my way slowly to the bedroom. I only hoped that I would find the closet occupied.

**I know, it was a lot to digest. I hoped you liked it. If you did, please drop a line. Or leave a review. I love reviews. **


	18. Going Back

**A/N: Ta-da! Here it is, the next chapter. So sorry about making it short, but to get to where I want it to be, it had to be like this. I promise, next chapter will be full of goodies and jaw droppers.**

**Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just made one of her characters be possessed by a demon spirit.**

**EPOV**

I huddled in the corner of the closet, my insides churning sickeningly. I couldn't comprehend what had just happened. I pressed my face against my legs, trying to stop the uncontrollable shaking of my body.

"Edward?" Bella's calm voice called out. I didn't trust my voice just yet, so I let out a quiet grunt. The closet door slid open and she crawled in. She sat across from me, tucking her legs underneath her.

"Want to talk about it?" She asked softly. She shut the closet door and the darkness made me feel a bit better.

"Jasper and Emmett are fine, Edward. It's not your fault what you did. You are in no way responsible for what happened in there."

"I watched it happen, Bella. The entire thing. I heard him talking to you. I watched it happen," My voice croaked and broke at the end, fresh waves of panic and fear building in me. Bella let out a gasp and I felt her hands rest on my shoulders.

"Tell me, Edward. Everything. Don't leave anything out." She urged me gently. I placed one hand on top of hers. I needed the connection and the silent strength she always had.

"It was like watching a movie. I didn't even have control over my body. He just…pushed me aside. I saw you, heard you, but couldn't say anything to you, to tell you that I was still there. I watched as Emmett struggled, nearly died by _my own hand._

He spoke to me. It was terrifying. He told me that he was growing stronger because I was becoming weaker. That one day he would reign again." Bella's hands tightened, her breathing hitched.

"That's was he told us, word for word."

"What?" My voice was void of emotion. I couldn't handle anything more than that.

"He spoke to us too. He told us that as well. Did he say anything else to you?" It took me a moment to collect my thoughts and emotions before I was able to speak.

"He told me about what he wanted to do, to you, my family and me. He showed me what he had done to you last night and it makes me sick! Oh God, Bella. I'm so sorry. I promise that'll never happen again, next time will be better for you." She stiffened in front of me, but I ignored my words.

"Jacob," I forced his name through my numb lips, "He wants me to do horrible things to you all. But I'm going to try and stop him. I stopped him before he actually killed Emmett, that was his plan. I fought my way back into my body. That's good, right?" My voice dripped with sarcastic optimism.

"It's a start." Bella whispered, surprising me that she moved closer. I felt her fingers thread through my hair, in a soothing manner that my mother used when I was younger and had nightmares. It was oddly comforting. Searching for her in the dark, I cupped her cheek and brought her to me. I needed the comfort I knew she was able to give me. Her fingers tightened in my hair and wiggled her way onto my lap. Her warm eased my pain, my worries. _I think I'm in love with her_, the thought popped into my mind as she let out a quiet moan. _Scratch that, I _am_ in love with her. _I gasped in her mouth and she pressed herself against me, thinking it was a response that she caused. It was partially true, but everything seemed to click into place after my little epiphany. _**NO! DAMN YOU! NO!**_Jacob's furious voice screamed in my head, making me jerk back from Bella with a startled gasp.

"What's wrong?" She breathed, her lips puffy. I pressed a hand to my forehead, internally cursing him.

"He didn't like what we were doing, or what I was thinking,"

"What were you thinking about?"

"You." I stated simply.

"Oh. Well. Did he say anything?"

"He was just yelling at me. Sorry about that, it was unexpected." Bella laughed, the sound made my heart pound hard. She stroked my hair and placed another kiss on my lips.

"It's okay. Are you ready to go back out or do you want to stay in here for the rest of the night?"

"You going to stay with me if I do?"

"Absolutely. I'm yours now." If my heart wasn't already pounding hard, it would've when she said those words. I felt her slide out of my lap and heard her stand up. Her hand reached out for mine and I obliged, letting her help me off the ground for a second time tonight. Her arms came around me, hugging me tightly. I hugged her back, thinking to myself, _I'm never going to able to let you go._

I apologized profusely to Emmett and Jasper, let my parents comfort me. My siblings forgave me easily, brushing off the incident as if it never happened. Bella was at my side the rest of the night, except for when she was saying her goodbyes to my family. Alice and Emmett pulled her aside, whispering furiously. Bella whispered back and finished what she was saying by giving Emmett a quick peck on the cheek. Alice hugged her and was the last one to exit our hotel room. I was splayed out on the couch, the news buzzing from the television. Bella shuffled in, laying on top of me. I shifted so her body was between mine and the couch.

"You okay?" She mumbled, rubbing circles on my chest. I let out a long breath, closing my eyes.

"I just wasn't expecting this to happen. It's been a bit too much," I said, brutally honest.

"I could say exactly the same. So I was thinking about going back tomorrow morning," My heart stopped. _Go back? Back to Seattle? _She must've sensed my worry because she kissed my chest lovingly.

"I'm not leaving you, Edward Cullen. I was talking about going back to the house. I left my cameras and recorders running when we left and I want to go through some of the footage I might've caught. Are you cool with that, if we go back?" I wasn't at all. I didn't want her going back there, not knowing what was going to happen. Inside me, Jacob argued with me. He desperately wanted to go back. But if Bella could figure this damn thing out, I would do anything for her.

"I'll figure out tomorrow morning when we have to check out." I whispered, my throat tight. I let out one final sigh and fell asleep.

**Review, please! Next chapter I'll get back to some non-fluff content. I'm beginning to move away from the plot. But gosh darnit, I can't help it. They're so fricking cute!**


	19. Joy Ride

**A/N: Here you are. The next installment. If you haven't heard already, Stephenie Meyer has put Midnight Sun on an indefinite hold, after copies of her manuscripts were leaked onto the Internet. I'm sad and disappointed in those people, because they ultimately stopped the Twilight Saga. I do hope Stephenie works it out and begins working on MS again. Until then, I will stay forever loyal to her and the characters she created.**

**With that said, she owns everything Twilight.**

**B****POV**

We left later the next morning, after Edward called the front desk. The ride back to Forks was quiet, punctuated by Angela calling me on my cell phone.

"Bella! Where are you? Ben and I are at the Cullen house. Well, have been for the past couple of hours." I groaned, rubbing a hand over my face. I had completely forgotten that they were coming today.

"Oh jeez, Ang. I'm sorry. I totally blanked about you and Ben. There's been some increased activity since I called you the other night. We had to leave the house for a day or two. We'll be there in twenty minutes. Do you think you can handle being there for a little while more?"

"Increased activity? Like what? Don't leave me in the dark, Bella."

"Everything will be explained the moment we get inside, I promise you. See you soon. Tell Ben to get ready for an extensive review session."

"Whoop-de-doo." I was grinning when I put my phone away. Edward was silent, his jaw clenched. I reached over and grabbed his hand. His eyes slid over to look at me.

"What's wrong now?" I asked, feeling strangely hurt at the expression on his face.

"Are they staying with us?" His voice was cold, oddly un-Edward like.

"Yea, I thought I told you that. I'm sorry if I forgot, there's been a lot on my mind lately. Is that alright? They can stay in my room, I don't use it anyway-" He violently jerked the wheel, cutting across both lanes of the highway, skidded to a halt on the side of the road. Angry drivers blared their horns at him, shaking their fists as they drove by.

"Jesus, Edward! Were you trying to fucking kill us?!" I swore, my heart beating out of control. He was breathing hard, a vein was threatening to pop out in his forehead.

"You didn't tell me they were staying at the house."

"I can call them, all you had to do was ask, not kill me. If you don't want them there, they can find somewhere else to stay. I thought it was would be more convenient for all three of us if we were to be in the same place at the same time," I reached down for my purse, and was hauled back up by my hair. My head was yanked back and Edward's dark face hovered over me.

"I never gave you permission to invite any of your friends over. It's my house, my rules. Women have no say or power in the household, in my household." He spat, his hot breath fanning over me. Now I was getting pissed. I smacked at his hand, only making him grip it harder. His eyes turned black and all my anger flooded into fear. _Damn it! Can't I get one moment of peace with my Edward?!_ I went limp in his grasp, pretending to be submissive.

"I'm sorry, Jacob. I didn't mean to offend you. I should've asked before letting them come over. I'll remember next time." I whispered, staring directly at him. He hissed in pleasure, bringing our heads closer together.

"You better, you fucking bitch! I am ruler of the house!" His teeth grazed my cheek, biting my lip hard at the end. I flinched, closing my eyes.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" He roared, shaking me like a rag doll. My head hit the passenger window, a loud crack echoing in the tiny cab of the Volvo. Stars shone in front of me, Edward's distorted face came in and out of focus. I hoped, prayed, that a passing vehicle would stop and see what was the matter. But it seemed as though we were the only ones on this strip of highway. I nearly cried out in terror. _What if he does something to me, kills me? No one would know where I am. He wouldn't know, unless…_

"Edward!" His head cocked to the side, as if the trapped Edward was acknowledging me.

"Edward no longer exists. It is Jacob now, and only Jacob." The tone of voice Jacob used was almost reverence, almost proud of his accomplishment.

"You don't own this body, Jacob. Edward does. And I know he's in there and he's capable of getting back. Fight, Edward. Please. Please, for me." I pleaded, struggling to get a hand free and stroked his cheek. His eyes flickered, turning bright green.

"Bella!" Edward's voice was back, and it was full of fear.

"You have to stop him, Edward. There's no other way. Do it!" I urged, running my fingers through his hair.

"I can't! He's grown stronger somehow. It's not like before," He sounded defeated, which aggravated me.

"Goddamn it, Edward! Fight!" The fury in me broke loose and my fingers mimicked his, tightening in his hair. I shook him as hard as I could, crying out as I did. The green eyes I had grown to love faded back to black and I knew my time with Edward was over.

**EPOV**

_Bella! _I screamed in my head, fighting futilely against the restraints Jacob had wrapped around me. I could feel him in me, a freezing cold current flowed through my veins. The bastard was hurting her and I could do nothing.

"Let go of her, you're hurting her!" I growled at the black figure in front of me.

_**I'm not hurting her, I'm simply teaching her a lesson.**_

"No, you aren't! What is your problem with her? She's done nothing to you! You chose me, not her. Leave her the fuck alone!" The restraints loosened around me, making me gasp in surprise.

_**I'll give you a moment with her. **_

"Bella!" I knew the fear was evident in my voice. I felt her fingers in my hair, and I took a small comfort from her contact.

"You have to stop him, Edward. There's no other way. Do it!" Her fingers grew frantic, and my heart broke at the tortured sight of her. The restraints squeezed me, a forceful reminder of who was in control. I hung my head in defeat, at a loss for words and emotion.

"I can't! He's grown stronger somehow. It's not like before," I knew with the restraints, I would have a harder time gaining control over my body. She tightened her fingers in my hair and shook. She cried out, her face contorted with fear and anger.

"Goddamn it, Edward! Fight!" The chains that bound me pulled me back into the corner. I screamed and yelled, fought with more zeal than I ever had before.

_**Calm down before you hurt yourself, boy.**_ _**You're not strong enough to do anything but rot in here as I take over.**_Jacob said, his voice insulting and sarcastic.

"I'm strong enough to kill you," I growled through clenched teeth.

_**Kill me? KILL ME? **_His cold and terrifying laughter filled my head. I remembered that when I fought the last time, I had thought of Bella. I focused all my thoughts on her, on how I realized I was in love with her.

_**STOP! STOP IT!**_ Jacob's pained voice roared, deafening me. The chains slid down my body until I could step out of them. I fought desperately to regain control and watched with grim triumph as he retreated back, hiding himself in dark region of my mind. I gasped loudly and collapsed on top of Bella, burying my face in her neck.

**BPOV**

It was eerily fascinating watching him battle internally. His eyes flickered from green to black, sometimes blending together. I murmured words of encouragement and love in his ear, stroking his hair. He let out a shaky gasp and collapsed in my arms, his face pressed in my neck.

"Edward?" I asked cautiously. He answered with a grunt and I smiled. I kissed his cheek and every inch of skin I could get to. His lips found mine and we celebrated his victory together. I broke off the kiss, angling his head from mine.

"How did you do it?"

"I thought of you." He whispered, kissing my forehead gently. I felt warm and fuzzy all over, a welcomed feeling after what happened. I gathered my thoughts and tried to form a coherent sentence. His words sent me flying.

"What was it like?" I managed to force out.

"I had chains around me and he kept me in a corner. He let me talk to you, a first." A ghost of a smile lit on his face.

"Chains? Literal chains?" This was a first and it was interesting. Angela and Ben were going to have a ball when I told them about this.

"I have no idea. I just knew I wasn't able to move."

"Do you remember what we were talking about before you tried to kill us?"

"What?!" _Jacob must've taken over the minute he got in the car_, I gathered.

"Apparently not. Jacob made you go from one side of the highway to the other in less than five seconds."

"Are you alright? Did we crash?" He picked his head up and looked out the windows. He quickly surveyed our surroundings, his jaw going slack when he saw where we were. I noticed that cars had returned and some began to slow down as they passed.

"Do you want me to drive back? We can change spots," I rubbed his arm soothingly.

"Yea, yea." Shaken, he slid from the drivers' seat to the passenger and I situated myself behind the steering wheel.

I pulled up next to Angela's car, waved at them, seeing that they were sitting on the front porch. Edward was still pale and shaky, but he put on a bright smile the minute he got out of the car.

"Angela and Ben? I've heard a lot about you from Bella. You're welcome to stay here as long as you want." He shook their hands and turned to me. I was in a state of déjà vu and shock, the conversation from the car still fresh in my mind.

"Bella? Earth to Bells, time to wake up." Angela snapped her fingers in front of my face and I jerked backwards, almost toppling over.

"What? Oh, yea, you can stay in my room."

"Your room? Where are you going to stay?" Caught in the midst of what was going to become a very awkward moment, I cleared my throat and grabbed Edward's hand.

"Come on, let's give you two the grand tour." I hurried towards the house, Edward in tow.

"You didn't answer my question!" Angela called out, making me smile.

**Review!**


	20. Chapter 20

Sorry everyone about not updating lately. I've been super uber-busy with homework and I don't have any time. But I've got chapters working, hopefully I'll get something posted by the end of the week.

Don't hate me! Haha.


	21. Review

**A/N: New chapter up! Yay! **

**Stephenie Meyer owns everything Twilight. I just own more than one copy of the Twilight series.**

**BPOV **

As Angela and Ben got settled in my room, I was in Edward's, changing into other clothes. I knew I had an extremely long day ahead of me and I wanted to be as comfortable as possible. Edward was in the bathroom, taking a shower. There was a knock on the door and I quickly answered it.

"So, this is where you're staying," Angela mused, taking in a big eyeful. I slipped out of the room, shut the door behind me.

"I haven't spent a night away from him. Ang, it's bad." I proceeded to fill her in, waiting as Ben had to be informed when he finally stepped out of the bedroom.

"Jesus, it's worse than what I thought." Ben said, slumping in a dining room chair. I moved the three of us to the kitchen, just in case Edward wanted to catch some sleep.

"Tell me about it." I mumbled, my face in my hands. Angela reached over and squeezed my hand.

"It makes it even worse when you're in love with him, doesn't it?" I nodded in my hands and let out a long breath. The room was silent for a while, all three of us sitting at the table, thinking. Angela was the first to talk.

"I think we should get started with reviewing. If you're up to it," She added at the end, glancing at me meaningfully.

"I can handle it. Alice set up a room for us to use, next to Edward's office. I'll show you."

I rubbed my eyes and leaned back in my chair. I had been listening to EVPs, electronic voice phenomena, for the past four hours and then started watching the mini-DVRS I had set up in each room. Angela and Ben were fast asleep on the couch, after both had watched hours of video themselves. I finished one tape and picked up the one I had labeled "E's Bedroom". I didn't want Angela or Ben to watch it, thinking it was almost an invasion of Edward's privacy.

I watched as both Edward and I got up from the bed, dressed and left the room, and the hours afterwards were extremely boring, but I had to watch in case Jacob made an appearance at all. Both of us entered the bedroom and began getting ready for bed. I had never noticed before that Edward slept right up behind me, his arm draped across my hips. _I must be out before my head hits the pillow_. The screen went out of focus for a moment and then a large black shadow appeared at the foot of the bed. I stiffened in my chair, hands gripping the armrests tightly. The shadow circled the bed, circled Edward. I watched in silent horror as the shadow engulfed him, disappearing with each inhale he made. Edward's body went stiff and then levitated off the bed almost a foot and his body arched in a sickening, inhuman way. His mouth opened in a scream, but no sound came out. _And the entire time I'm asleep, not noticing a thing. _His body twisted and contorted in the air, like a disturbing ballet. He finally fell back down to the bed, the sheet settling back over him.

"Oh my God," I whispered, absolutely terrified. The investigator in me was ecstatic-I had actually gotten a demonic possession on film, while the other normal part of me was disgusted. My stomach lurched and I clamped a hand over my mouth, sprinting down the hallway to the bathroom. I barely made it. I knelt in front of the toilet, retching. When there was nothing else left in me, I slumped against the wall and closed my eyes. What played behind my lids made me begin to dry heave and I hunched over the toilet. Cool hands brushed back my hair and rubbed my shoulders.

"Hey, you okay? What happened?" Edward whispered, pulling me into his lap. He grabbed a rag and wiped my mouth with it. Tears spilled down my cheeks and I clung to him. He mumbled nothings into my hair and rubbed my back.

"I saw it, I saw everything." I sobbed into his chest.

"Saw what? Tell me," I pulled back from him, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hands. I ran my fingers through his hair, trying to forget the images I had seen on the screen moments before.

"I put a camera in the bedroom and it recorded when…when you were possessed." He stiffened next to me, his eyes growing wide.

"Show me."

"No! No. I don't want you to see it," I said sternly, although my voice shook terribly.

"As your employer, I demand you let me see the video or I swear to God I'll fire you. Bella, damn it, let me watch it." My jaw dropped and I glared at him.

"And I have a right to deny you that privilege. I can withhold evidence from my client. And I don't think you, at this moment, can handle it. Please, Edward. Please don't make me show you it." I pleaded with him, tugging on his hair. He shook his head, and stood up.

"I'll meet you in your office. Clean yourself up, Bella." He said stiffly and left the bathroom. I sat stunned on the floor, unable to make a coherent thought.

**EPOV**

I heard someone running past my bedroom as I got ready for bed. Thinking it might've been Angela or Ben, I went to go check. To my surprise and shock, I found Bella heaving into the toilet. Her hair hung around her face and I brushed it back, holding it in one hand. I squeezed her shoulders comfortingly. I sat down beside and cuddled her in my lap.

"Hey, you okay? What happened?" I cleaned her face with a wet rag and watched as tears spilled down her face and she lost her composure. I rubbed her back and kissed her hair.

"I saw it, I saw everything." She cried against my shirt. Confused, I shook my head.

"Saw what? Tell me," She pulled away, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hands. I felt her fingers in my hair and she had a look of concentration on her face.

"I put a camera in the bedroom and it recorded when…when you were possessed." Shock filtered through me, then interest. I wanted to see it like I needed air. It would answer everything.

"Show me."

"No! No. I don't want you to see it," She said, her voice shaking. It angered me that she didn't want to show me my own _fucking_ possession.

"As your employer, I demand that you let me see the video or I swear to God I'll fire you. Bella, damn it, let me watch it." I hated saying that, pulling that card out on her when she was like this. _I'm such an asshole_.

"And I have a right to deny you that privilege. I can withhold evidence from my client. And I don't think you, at this moment, can handle it. Please, Edward. Please don't make me show you it." She pleaded, tugging desperately on my hair. I stood up, walked towards the door.

"I'll meet you in your office. Clean yourself up, Bella." I said coldly and stalked to the office. I slammed the door, startling Angela and Ben awake.

"Edward? What's going on? Where's Bella?" Instantly alert, Angela sat up, pushing Ben off of her. I sat in the first chair I found and searched the table, finding my bedroom paused on a tiny screen. I rewound it and pressed play. I leaned back in the chair, staring intently at the screen. I didn't notice Angela and Ben stand behind me, or that Bella entered the room. Now I knew why Bella didn't want me to see this. When the scene stopped, I sat stunned. Angela and Ben were whispering fiercely behind me and Bella was sitting at my feet.

"See?" She whispered, her eyes closed.

"My family? Alice? What if they see this?"

"They won't, if I can help it."

"That was amazing. I've never seen anything like that in my whole life. Wait until the others see this, you'll be famous Bella." Ben said, his eyes wide with realization.

"Can we see it again?" Angela asked, glancing at both Bella and I. I looked over at Bella and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Doesn't matter anymore. Hell, let's upload it on YouTube so the whole damn world sees it!" She snarled and stalked out of the room; the entire room shook as the door slammed shut. Angela moved as if to go after her, but I was up and out of the room before she said a single word. I saw Bella go into our bedroom and I followed. She paced in front of the bed, grumbling to herself. When she saw me, her eyes turned fiery and her face turned red.

"Bella, I-"

"Don't speak. Don't say a single word. I asked you, no, begged you not to see that. I'm furious with you right now! I never show my clients anything until I believe they're ready to see it, are able to handle the images. You were _not_ ready to see that and you…you…" Her face crumbled and tears fell down her face. She crossed her arms across her body and hugged herself tightly.

"You were in the air, and I was sleeping. _Sleeping. _I didn't do a damn thing because I was asleep. It makes me sick to see what happened to you and know that I didn't anything to stop it. You were in pain, Edward." Her voice was quiet and full of emotion. I walked towards her and wrapped my arms around her. She pressed her face against my shirt, her tears soaking through to my skin. I rocked her gently, kissing the top of her head.

"Shh….shh…you didn't know…I'm all right now. It's okay, love. It's okay,"

"No, it's not, Edward." I placed my finger under her chin, tilted her head up.

"It is." I whispered and kissed her lightly on the lips. Her breath caught and then her hands were in my hair. We tumbled back onto the bed, hands scrambling for purchase on each other's skin. I pulled her shirt up and over her head and she did the same with me. I rolled on top of her, stretching myself over the entire length of her. Her legs wrapped around my waist, her heels dug into my lower back. We both groaned at the contact. I pressed myself against her and she arched upwards. My mouth latched onto her neck and I bit her lightly. Her hands ran up and down my back, scratching my skin. With shaky hands, I tugged on her sweats, grinning as she kicked them off. She put her hands on my shoulders and shoved, flipping positions. She straddled my hips, her hair hanging down and framing her beautiful face. She unbuttoned my jeans and slid them down my legs. She crawled back up my body with a devilish grin on her lips. All of a sudden, the room began to spin and Bella's face went in and out of focus.

"Bella," I wheezed, I felt as though someone kicked me in the stomach.

"Edward," She purred, and began to kiss my chest. I gasped for breath, hands digging into the comforter.

"Bella," I repeated and black spots filled my vision.

"Edward!" She cried out. It was the last thing I heard before my world went dark.

**I love cliffies. Don't you? You know what I like? Reviews. So leave one. And since you've finished reading this chapter, why don't you head over and read some of my other stories? And then when you're done with that, you can leave a review on them. Yay.**


	22. Climax

**A/N: I'm back, with a whole new chapter! Just a fyi to my loyal readers: I'll be wrapping up this story in a few chapters, but don't worry. I'm writing a sequel! That's right, a sequel! What I have done is simply fantastic and I know you'll enjoy it. So, prepare yourself. **

**Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just own Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse in German. Yep, German.**

**BPOV**

I shook Edward's shoulders, feeling how cold his skin became and how rigid his muscles were. I didn't remember calling for them, but suddenly Angela and Ben were in the room, ignoring our almost naked bodies.

"What's going on?" Angela asked, climbing on the bed next to me. Edward was completely still, his eyes wide and unblinkingly staring at the ceiling.

"I don't know. Edward, snap out of it!" My hands ran down his chest, slapped his face gently. His mouth began opening and closing, forming silent words. My heart sunk every second and fear began to cloud my mind.

"Do you think it could be Jacob?" Ben wondered, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"That's what I was thinking," Angela whispered, shaking Edward slightly. We jumped off the bed when Edward arched sickeningly off the bed, his head snapped to the side, his jaw at an odd angle. He slammed back down on the mattress with intense force. His eyes closed and it looked as though he was dead; his entire body was still, his pulse barely visible. I cradled his head in my lap, praying. Angela and Ben grew quiet and I knew that they were doing the same.

**EPOV**

My entire body was cold and I knew that _he_ had taken over.

"Damn you! Why the hell do you do this to me?!" I screamed, feeling that the chains were tighter this time, the links thicker.

"_**You are too strong. **_**She**_** is too strong. I'm teaching the bitch a lesson.**_" He growled, his inhuman face inches from mine. Fury filled me and I could see him relishing in it. His fiery eyes closed, his head rolled back. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the feelings I exuded like a fine perfume.

"_**You keep doing that and I may think about staying a bit longer. You haven't felt like this in a while,**_" His grin was pure evil and I felt it in my bones, my soul. I shivered violently.

"Just leave Bella alone. She's done nothing to you, you have no reason to hate her. Please, I'm begging you. Leave her, leave _us_ alone." I pleaded with Jacob, my voice weak and full of defeat. He inhaled that as well and placed a hand on the side of my face. I bit my cheek to keep from snarling.

"_**Ahh, this is what I've been waiting for. You are whipped by this insolent bitch, aren't you? This is pathetic!**_" His hand pulled back and smacked me full force across my cheek. My jaw snapped and a metallic taste filled my mouth. I spat thickly and growled low in my chest. The chains loosened and fell to the floor with a loud clatter. Jacob gestured for me to step out of them. I did, slowly, my eyes on his as I stepped out.

"What are you doing?" I asked, warily and defiant at the same time.

"_**Letting you go. You are too weak and I will wait until the time is deemed fit and I will come back. For now,**_" He raised his arms and sighed. The iciness disappeared from my veins and I opened my eyes, staring directly into the deep brown ones of the woman I loved.

**BPOV**

"Edward!" I gasped and covered his face with kisses. Tears streamed down my face and onto his. His color came back and he was breathing rapidly. Angela and Ben cried out and clamored around us, frantically asking questions and sighing phrases of belief. His arms wrapped around me, burying his face in my stomach. He trembled and I clung to him.

"He's gone…he's gone…" He repeated quietly and kissed my stomach.

"What? _What_?" Even though I didn't want him to move, I shoved him back and made him look at me.

"He'll be back…oh God…he'll be back…" His eyes were frantic and wild. I framed his face between my hands and squeezed gently, focusing his eyes towards mine.

"What do you mean?" I asked slowly, not understanding his cryptic message.

"Jacob left, I don't know where. Said I was weak, time wasn't right. He'll be back," His trembling body shook the bed and he tried to bury back into my body. Angela and Ben stood back, concerned looks on both of their faces.

"Shh…you're okay. How do you know he is gone? Did he tell you?"

"He said he was teaching you a lesson. Bella," I stiffened at what he said and let my hands fall off his face. Like a child seeking comfort from a nightmare, he curled himself around me and hid his face in my side. I glanced up at Angela and apparently the expression on my face said everything. They left the room quietly, shutting the door behind them. I scooted down the bed, until I was face-to-face with Edward. I kissed his nose, his closed eyelids.

"Edward, you need to tell me more. Remember how you did it the last time? I can help you. Please, let me help you." I cooed, brushing hair back off his forehead. I kissed him softly and felt him crumble. He groaned and rolled on top of me, crushing me with his warm weight. My fingers snaked in his hair, anchoring myself to him. I was his rock, his base and I was going to let him do whatever he needed to do without complaint.

"I love you, Bella. It hurts so much, the intensity of the feelings I have for you. I love you," He mumbled against the skin of my neck. My breath caught and tears filled my eyes. I tugged on his hair and kissed him deeply.

"I love you, Edward. You are my life now." I whispered, leaving a trail of kisses across his jaw. We removed the remainder of clothes we had on, touching reverently. We murmured words of love and adoration as we explored each other. When we finally joined, it was like he was made for me. The events that occurred between us before, in the hotel, disappeared and were now replaced with these. It was long and slow, loving. I held Edward as he trembled again, but instead of Jacob causing it, it was me.

The days that followed Jacob's abrupt departure were extremely pleasant. Angela and Ben decided to move into an apartment in the city, finding that Forks suited their needs better than Seattle. I was happy for them, and I was happy for Edward and I. After I caught up with my recordings, I was able to spend more time with him, learn more about him. He told me that when he wasn't working at the hospital- which he called in an extended leave of absence- he enjoyed writing music on the piano. He tried teaching me one afternoon and it ended up a disaster. I was in tears while Edward held back his laughter.

"Love, maybe this isn't the pastime for you. Writing is more in your alley." He had said as he pulled me into his arms. We also were able to spend a lot of time alone with each other, which was nice. There wasn't a spot in his house that we hadn't been or crashed into in our race to the bedroom. It was awkward when his family decided to unexpectedly drop in.

His family frequented our house, and vice-versa. I loved going over to Carlisle and Esme's, their giant house warm and inviting. Alice and Jasper's was designer and homey, while Emmett and Rose's was fun and energetic. They had an enormous game room, where Emmett and Jasper taught me the fine art of Halo and Grand Theft Auto. Emmett called me his "little noob", and even though I had no idea what it meant, I felt accepted in this hodge-podge of a family. It was obvious that even though Carlisle and Esme weren't their blood parents, the love between Edward and his siblings for them was intense.

One afternoon at Alice's, it was just Rose, Alice and I, the boys were at the gym, playing basketball. We were in the middle of a movie when my stomach churned nauseatingly. I broke out in a cold sweat and I began to swallow quickly. Rose must've noticed because her hand was pressed against my forehead.

"Bella? You feeling okay? You're really pale all of a sudden,"

"Yea, yea. Must've been something I ate."

"You didn't eat anything today. You barely touched your breakfast, Edward told me and all you ate at lunch was your soup." Alice stated and paused the movie. My stomach flipped again and I scrambled off the couch. I ran to the bathroom and heaved the minute I was in front of the toilet. Rose and Alice held back my hair and wiped my face with a wet wash cloth.

"That doesn't seem okay. Bella, are you sure you're not…" Rose trailed off once my stomach was empty. I pressed my cheek against the cool tile and did the calculations in my mind. My breath caught and my eyes shot open.

"Ding ding ding! We have an answer!" Rose laughed quietly.

"I don't know…I've always been…you know…irregular," I mumbled.

"Think about it, you and Edward have been getting your freak on at least once a week or so I've been told," Alice smiled cheekily at me. I was going to have to have a talk with Edward about what he says to his family.

"There is a huge possibility of you being pregnant. The boys won't be back for at least two more hours. Why don't we head to the store and pick up a test, that way we can get this over and done with painlessly." Alice, always the planner, said as she gingerly helped me up off the floor. I nodded silently and headed to get my purse.

Rose, Alice and I sat outside the bathroom door as we waited for the test to finish. Alice locked the bathroom door to stop ourselves from peeking, Rose set an alarm on her phone at the high volume level to alert us when it was done. My head swam with the different possibilities, the ideas of me being pregnant with Edward's baby. _Edward's baby_. Just those two words sent thrills of nervousness and curiosity through me. I was jolted out of my thoughts by Rose's alarm. It blared "Oh hot damn, this is my jam," over and over. I would've smiled at the ring tone if I didn't feel like throwing up. Alice retrieved the key and unlocked the door.

"You first, Bella. We'll wait out here." She whispered and shoved me in the room. She and Rose clung to each other and stared at me with wide eyes. I shuffled over to the counter where the test sat. Taking a deep breath, I picked it up.

"Oh my God," I wheezed, the test dropping to the counter with a clatter from my numb fingers. _Oh my God._

**EPOV**

Playing basketball with Emmett and Jasper was exactly what I needed. We didn't play by the rules, and since we had the entire court to ourselves, we became vicious with each other. Emmett threw half-court shots and Jasper taunted both of us relentlessly. I knew how both of them played and I anticipated their moves and pissed them off royally.

"Damn it, Edward. Knock it off! It's like you can read my friggin' mind!" Emmett shouted as I deflected the ball he shot for a free throw.

"If only, Em. You seriously need to rethink your game plan, both of you. It's pathetic," I laughed as I jogged down the court. A group of college kids joined us on the court and we played with them for a while before Jasper checked the time on his phone.

"We have to get back if we want dinner." Knowing Alice and how punctual she was, we went into the locker room to shower and dress. The minute I entered the locker room, I felt edgy and unnerved. I grabbed a towel and headed to the shower, ignoring my brothers.

"Dude, Ed, what's wrong with you?" Emmett said as I turned on the water. A red haze filled my vision and I spun around, teeth bared.

"Don't call me Ed." I growled and stalked towards Emmett. I backed him into a corner, my hands snaking up and around his neck. I picked him up off the ground, pinning him to the tile wall. His feet kicked out and hands slapped me and the wall. Jasper must've heard the noise because the next I knew, I threw him across the shower stalls and he laid crumpled in a heap under the spray of water. Emmett had stopped struggling and closed his eyes, which angered me. I shook him and then dropped him, kicking him in the chest. He slid across the floor limply. Blackness overcame me and I didn't feel myself fall to the floor.

**BPOV**

Alice paced in the kitchen, the boys hadn't come back from the gym when they said they would. I was still in a daze and didn't realize the phone was ringing until Rose answered it.

"Carlisle? Why are you calling? No, we're fine. No, we haven't heard from them. _He did _what?!" Rose screamed into the phone. Alice was at her side in an instant, craning her neck to hear what Carlisle was saying.

"Are they okay? What about him? Yea, she's right here." Rose shook visibly as she handed the phone to me.

"Carlisle? It's Bella."

"Bella, Edward's not in good shape. I've never seen anything like this before." His voice was low and anxious, I could feel the hair rise on the back of my neck.

"Like how? Where is he? What happened?" My knees felt weak and I groped for a chair behind me.

"Edward, Emmett and Jasper are here at the hospital. From what I've learned from Jasper and Emmett, he attacked them out of nowhere."

"He's back." I gasped, remembering what Edward said Jacob had told him. _**You are too weak and I will wait until the time is deemed fit and I will come back. **_

"Who's back? Bella, answer me! Who is back?" Carlisle, Alice and Rose asked me frantically.

"Jacob. And it won't be the same." I slid off the chair as the realization hit me. I was going to have to do something I had dreaded for a long time, had nightmares about: I was going to have to perform an exorcism on Edward.

**So? So? Did you like it? Really? You did? How do I know you liked it? My paranoia will set in if you don't submit a review. Please?**


	23. Chapter 23

Hey. Sorry I haven't been updating lately. I have been pretty busy with school and dealing with a recent death of a friend. I did have four days off of school this week, but I was busy catching up on things. I promise, _promise, to update sometime in the near future._

_Do not fret, lovies. I haven't given up on this story, but am dealing with some serious writers' block. Give me some time and I will give you the chapter you deserve._

_Love,_

_AFutureCullen_

_Aka_

_Meghan_


	24. Sorry

Hey. Sorry I haven't been updating lately. I have been pretty busy with school and yea. I'm hoping to get out a chapter or two (cross your fingers and stick a needle in your eye...) by Sunday or so. If there isn't one, please don't be disappointed.

_Do not fret, lovies. I haven't given up on this story, but am dealing with some serious writers' block. Give me some time and I will give you the chapter you deserve._

_Love,_

_AFutureCullen_

_Aka_

_Meghan_


	25. Final Straw

**A/N: FINALLY! I did it! The next chapter! This one is a downer, let me tell you. I hated writing it, but it had to be done.**

**Enjoy.**

**BPOV**

I called Ben and Angela and told them to meet me at the hospital. I had found out that Carlisle put Edward in a special part of the hospital, in the Isolation Ward, so I knew that we would be in privacy, for the most part. Rose drove me back home, with Alice following us in her own car. I unlocked the front door, my brain completely detached from what was going on. I left the door open and headed upstairs to my office, packing a bag carefully and methodically. I heard Rose and Alice talking downstairs, their voices growing louder as they came towards the stairs. I went into our bedroom, opening up each drawer slowly and searching through every item before placing it in my bag. I went into the walk-in closet and started to pack a bag for Edward. I picked up a sweater laying on the floor and lifted it up, his scent wafting towards me. I buried my face in the sweater, inhaling deeply. Tears pricked my eyes and I slid down the wall, amidst a pile of dirty clothes. The idea that harbored in me from the moment I realized he was possessed came out in full force. _What if Edward doesn't come home? I'll be stuck here, all alone…_I didn't know I had said those thoughts aloud or that Alice had found me in the closet because in seconds she was wrapped around me and I was sobbing.

"It'll be all right. Edward will come home." She whispered, trying to soothe me. I clung to her tiny frame with all my strength; she seemed to be the only thing that was anchoring me to reality.

"I'm just scared." I whimpered, trying to convey my feelings to her.

"So am I. We all are."

"Not as scared as me. Alice, I've never actually done an exorcism before."

**EPOV**

"Let go of me, you fucking bastard!" I roared at Jacob, his black figure inches away from me. The chains were bigger and heavier this time around, and I knew that there was no chance for my escape. Not that I knew what I was going to do once I got them off of me.

"_**Calm yourself, boy, or you'll tire yourself out before the show even starts.**_"

"Don't place a single finger on Bella or I'll kill you myself." The black figure shifted into a man, and he sauntered towards me. He grinned wickedly and I felt my head slam back hard against a solid surface. His face swirled sickeningly close around me and I could smell his breath. The rotting odor made me gag and I knew if he stayed there longer than a minute, I was going to throw up.

"_**How do you plan on doing that when you're dead?**_" I tried not to breathe and I knew he noticed what I was doing. He let out a long breath and my stomach churned and I heaved noisily. Jacob laughed and rubbed vomit all over my face, as in punishment. I kept my eyes closed and tried to concentrate on something other than the vomit on my face and the demon keeping me prisoner. I imagined Bella, her bright smiling face, the look in her eyes when she told me she loved me, the way her body fit perfectly to mine when we were in bed. My breath caught painfully in my chest. What if I never was able to hold Bella in my arms again, to hear her laughter, feel her lips against mine? I thought of the children we might have; they would have her eyes and temperament, but my smile. I was brought out of my thoughts by a violent shake.

"_**Enough!**_" Jacob bellowed.

"It's never enough. _She's_ never enough. You will never know what it is like to hold the woman you love in your arms every night, to wake up to her every morning. You live your life….your existence tormenting others, feeding off their pain and suffering. You're nothing more than a shell of a man." He whirled around to me, gripping my neck in his vise-like grip.

"_**I thought I told you to be quiet.**_" He enunciated each word by squeezing my neck tighter and tighter until I was gasping for air. When my eyes began rolling back in my head, he released me and I sagged against my chains.

"Bella," I wheezed, her name like a prayer on my lips.

**BPOV**

Emmett was waiting for us at the entrance of the hospital. Rose ran up to him, checking her husband out for any obvious injuries; he looked perfectly fine, except for the bruising around his neck. He embraced Rosalie, kissed Alice's forehead and engulfed me in a bear hug. His broad shoulders shook and I felt his tears soak into my shirt. I stood on my tip toes to whisper in his ear.

"I will do everything in my power to bring him back. I swear." I kissed his cheek and wiped his face dry of tears. His lower lip stuck out and his big blue eyes were red and puffy.

"He's my brother. I love him," He said simply, a fresh batch of tears welling in his eyes. I grabbed his warm hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"I do too."

* * *

Upon entering Edward's room, I was assaulted with sight, sound and smell. I zeroed in on Edward, who looked as though he was sleeping peacefully, but I knew better. I had seen him like this countless times and I knew that he was confronting Jacob. Esme was hovering over him, cleaning up what looked like vomit off of his face and neck. Carlisle monitored his son's vital signs, every once in a while glancing down at the bed. His eyes would cloud over and he would briskly shake his head. Jasper sat in the corner, looking a little more than worse for wear. Alice hurried over to him, her tiny hands running over his face and chest. They had a muted conversation and soon Alice sat still on her husband's lap. Emmett and Rosalie settled down next to them and stared solemnly at the figure on the bed.

"Bella," Esme murmured, coming towards me. She hugged me and brushed back hair from my forehead lovingly. Tears swam in my eyes and she cooed softly.

"It's all right, darling. Even the courageous ones have weak moments,"

"I'm so scared," I whispered and buried my face in her neck. I breathed in her warm scent and felt oddly comforted, something I had missed since my mother left me.

"So are we. It hurts even more when someone you love is involved, isn't it? Darling Bella, so loving and strong, it's no wonder Edward fell head over heels for you. We're all here for the both of you. We'll help you through it," There was a soft knock on the door and Angela and Ben entered the room. They brought a large bag along with them. Esme stroked my cheek and went to go stand next to Carlisle. Angela hugged me, so did Ben.

"Sorry we weren't here sooner. We had to get our things," Angela whispered, gesturing to the bag Ben sat on the floor.

"It's all right. I just got here. Can I talk to you two outside for a moment?" As much as I didn't like the fact leaving Edward, I needed to ask them for advice.

"What's going on?" Ben asked, his boyish face creased with concern.

"You both have been with me for years, right?"

"Yea, since college." Angela answered, confused by my question.

"And you've traveled with me, experienced things most people don't in a lifetime?"

"Yes. Bella, where are you going with this?" Ben asked, shaking his head.

"Have you ever actually seen me perform an exorcism?" Both stared at me blankly and my stomach sunk.

"…we've seen exorcisms performed before. I taped one when we went to England. Jesus, we're totally out of our league here, aren't we?" Ben cursed under his breath and began pacing. Angela let out a long, shaky breath and rubbed my arm.

"Is something wrong?" Carlisle asked, sticking his head into the hall. Ben stopped pacing and ran his fingers through his hair. I nodded, gripping Angela for support.

"I need to tell your family something,"

* * *

I broke the news as easy as I could. At first, they were furious. Emmett stormed from the room and Alice broke into sobs. I explained to them that I had seen exorcisms done before, but they were small-scale, nothing of this caliber. I had sent Angela and Ben out to find as much as they could on performing them. Ben promised to bring the tape back.

"So you're telling us you can't do it?" Jasper hissed, his voice full of volatile emotion.

"In a way. This is the work of demonologists. I'm just a paranormal investigator. I shadowed a demonologist for a couple of months,"

"Then call them! They could help us," Rosalie said, pulling out her cell phone and handing it to me. I shook my head.

"He'd be no help to us at the moment. He's currently in a remote section of the Orient." I sat down next to Edward's bed and put my head in my hands.

* * *

We waited. And waited. Emmett returned a little while later, noticeably less agitated. He had gone with Jasper to find food for all of us. Edward hadn't moved since the vomiting incident, something they filled me in on later. The door swung open and we all turned to look, wondering if it was the men coming back with food. It was Angela and Ben, looking a little out of breath.

"We did it, Bella." Angela held up a small black bag and Ben handed me the video tape. I opened the bag and searched through it.

"What is this all?" I pulled out a wooden cross, a small plastic bottle filled with liquid, and a book.

"It's a long story. We hit up the Internet café in the lobby and found a bookstore that had some things on exorcisms and possessions. We headed over there and to our luck, the cashier told us to head to the church because the priest knew some things on exorcisms. So, we went over and he gave us all this." Angela picked up the cross and examined it.

"Why didn't you bring him back here?" Angela closed her eyes and sighed.

"Yea, here's the thing: the man hasn't actually performed one either. This is all things he learned and was given during his teachings."

"Shit! God damnit! Then how the hell am I supposed to save Edward?!" I screamed, the news being the final straw on the camel's back. Everyone in the room flinched and quieted.

"Fuck!" I pushed everything off my lap and jumped up. I kicked the wall in frustration, tears streamed down my cheeks. My foot throbbed in pain, but it was nothing compared to what my heart was experiencing. The entire Cullen family stared at me, finally seeing that their only hope of saving their son had disappeared. Unable to handle it, I ran from the room…like a coward.

* * *

**Well....how'd you like that one? I'm in the same boat as Bella. I have no idea on how this whole exorcism thing works. I've seen it done, but when I write it out, it's going to be my version, so if you actually know how it's done, please don't be disappointed or zip me off an email or review, telling me the ins and outs of it. **

**Speaking of which, why don't you go ahead and write me a review anyway?**


	26. Light At The End Of The Tunnel

**A/N: HOLY COW. This one is a doozy! I'm not even going to say anything, but enjoy.**

**BPOV**

I ran out of the hospital and stood in front of the Emergency entrance. I slid down against the rough wall and brought my knees up to my chest. People milled around the doors, murmuring quietly as they passed me. A few minutes of being alone and I felt someone sit down next to me. I turned my head so only one eye was looking at whoever sat down. It was Jasper. I was surprised to see him there, but inside I was glad. Of all the Cullen clan members, next to Edward, I liked Jasper the best. There was just something about him that put me at ease; he was just easy to be around.

"Hey," He said quietly, nudging me. I made a noise of recognition and put my head back down on my knees.

"I apologize for blowing up at you before upstairs. We're all a little stressed and that was totally uncalled for."

" 'S okay," I mumbled, my mind far away from this conversation.

"I still feel bad. This is probably worse for you than anyone else." We were quiet, both thinking about the same thing.

"Can I tell you something?" He asked, scooting closer to me. I shrugged my shoulders noncommittally.

"I'll take that as a yes. I've known Edward for years, right around the time he, Alice, and Emmett were adopted. I lived right next door to them and was pumped to know that two guys were in the neighborhood. We hit it off instantly." I saw from the corner of my eye that he was grinning. His eyes still seemed troubled, though.

"I probably know things that Emmett and Alice don't even know about him and he's their brother. I was actually jealous when you and Edward became a thing because that meant less time with him than before."

"What are you trying to get at, Jasper?" I was so confused by what he was saying. He put his arm around me, pulling me close. His head rested on the top of mine and I felt his tears begin to drip into my hair.

"I will do whatever I can to help you save him. I don't know what would happen if something happened to him and he…" His breathing hitched and he swallowed audibly.

"It would be like a part of me died. I spent the majority of my childhood and adult life with him and damn, I'm almost twenty-five. I know you've been with us for a short amount of time, but I want you to know that we love you and are family to us. No matter what happens, you will always have us." We held each other tightly, searching for support in us both. I pulled back and brushed his shaggy blonde hair from his eyes. I stretched up and kissed his forehead.

"Love you, Jazz." I smiled as I used the nickname I heard the others call him. This time his smile did reach his eyes.

"Love you, Bells." He kissed my cheek and used Edward's nickname for me. We sat there, smiling at each other, until Jasper angled his head and narrowed his eyes.

"Am I the first?"

"The first what?"

"Well, that answers it. Come on, I'll buy you a cup of coffee and then take you back upstairs. Emmett is going to be pissed," He lifted me to my feet and stabled me when I swayed. He even held my hand as we walked back into the hospital.

"What are you the first for?" I asked as he handed me my coffee. He smiled, which reminded me of Edward. _I'm guessing this is who he learned from. Jasper has a way with the ladies,_ I thought while I sipped my drink.

"Not only Emmett is going to be pissed, but Alice and Esme as well." He shook a packet of sugar between his thumb and forefinger and swiftly ripped it, pouring it into his coffee. He did this two more times, sighing contentedly after he had taken a drink.

"Jasper," I ground out, getting fed up with his cryptic talk.

"You said you loved me." He nudged me with his foot and walked out of the cafeteria.

* * *

I met back up with Angela and Ben and we watched and read everything that got. I watched the exorcism videotape seven times until I was confident I could do it in my sleep. I stood up and brushed myself off. Angela and Ben grabbed their things and headed into Edward's room. I glanced out the window, surprised to see that it was pitch black out. I checked the time and saw that it was eleven at night. The Cullens picked up their heads when I shut the door behind me.

I counted everyone in the room and was pleased to find out that I had the exact number that I needed to perform this exorcism, which was ten.

"Ben, set up the camera and make sure you can get Edward and the majority of the room in the shot. We might get a manifestation if Jacob gets enough power." At the mere mention of his name, Edward emitted a low growl. We all jumped at the noise and I ran my fingers through my hair, turning to the Cullens.

"What I am going to tell you is extremely important, so please pay extra attention to it." I made a point of staring directly at Emmett, who nodded back at me.

"At one point tonight, I am going to ask whatever is inside of Edward to show itself. If it does manifest, do not, I repeat, do not acknowledge it. I am the _only_ one allowed to speak with it. If it isn't strong enough, he will use Edward's body as a conduit, a replacement body. We've seen that happen before. It will speak to us, but you have to remember that it isn't Edward, so whatever it may say that is hurtful or downright disturbing, _it is not our Edward._" I added vehemently at the end.

"One more thing. Do not touch him, unless I instruct you to. I don't want to be doing another exorcism anytime soon," I smiled at the end, to try to ease the tension that was filling the room.

"Damn, okay, this is the last thing. Please think positively the entire time. Even if it looks bad, positive thoughts. It'll counteract whatever the spirit is trying to use in the room to gain strength." Angela and Ben were waiting for further instruction at the other end of the room and the Cullens were still around me, looking at me in varying ranges of nervousness and curiosity at my offhand attitude.

"Remember, positivity. It might even be better if you think of your favorite memories of Edward, make this a themed night." This time I glanced at Jasper, who reached over and squeezed my hand. Esme moved first, hugging me to her slender frame. I hugged her firmly and whispered in her ear.

"I will bring your son back to you." Her breath caught and she pulled back, framing my face with her hands. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed my forehead.

"I love you, Bella. You are a daughter to me now." I hugged her again and whispered it back to her. She released me with a smile and I turned to Carlisle. He was the most nervous one in the group. I rubbed his arm, trying to shift some of my mood over to him. I hugged him, for good measure. He let out a long sigh and released me. I hung on for another second and stepped back.

"He'll be fine, I promise." Emmett was next and before I could even take a breath, I was engulfed in a bear hug. He smelled oddly similar to Edward and that comforted me.

"Love you, Bells." He said and swung me around in his arms. I giggled, remembering what Jasper had told me earlier.

"You're not the first, but I love you anyway." I whispered and let go, grinning at the priceless expression on his face, and moved on to Rosalie. Alice all but squeezed me in half with the force of her hug. I stiffened slightly when she discreetly placed her hand on my stomach.

"Be safe." She said pointedly, her eyes full with love and determination.

"I love you, Alice." I said and hugged her back. Jasper slung an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into him. I pressed my cheek to his chest and took a deep breath.

"You have a lot of explaining to do afterwards, to Emmett. He's trying to figure out who was your first. And I believe a congratulations is in mind," He murmured in my ear. I glanced up at him and then Alice. He shook his head no and leaned back down to my ear.

"I can sense it. Also, I saw Alice put her hand on her stomach and I just put two and two together." He kissed my cheek and grinned. I stepped back and looked around the room.

"Okay, let's do this." I said quietly and with as much confidence as I could muster into the statement.

* * *

Carlisle had strapped Edward's arms and legs down after he arrived at the hospital. I loosened the straps, just for comfort and it allowed him to have a small range of motion. Ben turned off all the lights and Angela lit several candles and arranged them around the room. I positioned myself near the head of the bed, Angela stood on the other side. Ben was behind the camera, manning the tech station. He gave me a thumbs up to begin and I took a long, deep breath.

"I'm Bella Swan, this is Angela Weber. In the room is Ben Cheney, tech manager and the Cullen family. All in all, there are ten of us. Not really what we were expecting when we got here, but…this is the exorcism of Edward Anthony Masen Cullen." And for the first time all day, I touched Edward's hand and his eyes shot open. I caught the gasp before it came out. His eyes were a swirling mass of black and red, the loving and familiar green color was nowhere to be found. A quiet laughter filled the room and it took me a minute to register that it was coming from Edward.

"_**Did you miss me, bitch?**__"_ Jacob chuckled coldly.

"It's been a while, I suppose." I said conversationally, although my insides were twisting and churning in fear.

"_**I take that as a yes. You're going to have a hard time with this one. He put up a good fight, at first.**_"

"What do you mean 'at first'?" This was a chink in my armor. I had banked on Edward being there to help out on the inside.

"_**He's given up. He will be no help to you.**_" _Shit, he knows what I'm going to do_, I thought, panicked. Done with conversation, I grabbed the cross and pressed it to Edward's chest. He let out a long hiss and his head thrashed violently side to side.

"I demand that whatever is inside this person leave and never return." To emphasize, I pressed the cross harder.

"_**No.**_"

"I demand that whatever is inside this person leave and never return." I repeated louder. I pulled out the small bottle that I had learned was holy water, from my pocket and popped the lid open. I placed several drops on his forehead and chest, and covered my ears. Jacob roared in pain and I saw the water sizzling and evaporate off Edward's skin. I proceeded to squirt holy water all over his body and cringed at the sight of the bright red flesh.

"Jacob Black, show your true self. Release Edward and show yourself to me. If you aren't a coward," I decided that my next phase would be provoking Jacob to a point that he would want to leave Edward and fight me. I had learned his full name after Ben and Angela investigated the history of Edward's home and found out that he had been the logger that was murdered in the house.

"_**I am no coward, you bitch!**_" He thundered and continued to thrash on the bed.

"Then show yourself. Prove to me and everyone else that you are no coward. Until you do, you're telling me that you're too weak and scared to do anything."

"_**Bitch! Enough!**_" I simply touched the cross and he growled.

"Do it." I ground out, realizing that I was now in control. The candles suddenly went out and the room went completely black, blacker than normal. _Thank God that the camera can be switched to night vision_. I felt Edward's body move on the bed and then my arm began to move upwards, still on the cross. The restraints on Edward's wrists tightened and strained against the bed.

"Carlisle!" I barked out, turning my head to his general direction.

"Undo the straps." I felt Edward's arms pull against the leather. I heard him stumble over and search for the straps. He must've done the legs first and now he was at the wrists. With a final click, Edward's body shot upwards. I scrambled onto the bed, standing on it so I could keep a firm grip on the cross.

"Jacob, don't you hurt him. Put Edward back on the bed." The candles flickered and re-lit. I heard gasps and curse words when the rest of the room could see what had happened in the dark. He rose higher and my fingers slipped off the cross. It slid off Edward's chest and landed with a clatter on the tile floor below.

"Shit! Jacob Black, put him back down now!" And like the night he was possessed, Edward's body began a disturbing dance in mid-air. His body jerked and twitched, his limbs flailing aimlessly at his sides. I watched in fear and awe as he began to spin slowly. This went on for a few minutes and without warning, he was slammed back down on the bed with so much force that I let out a small scream.

"Jasper! Emmett! Carlisle! Help me!" I screeched and jumped on Edward's still body and pinned his arms down above his head. Emmett and Jasper covered my hands and struggled to hold down their brother's arms. Carlisle made quick work of putting the restraints back on Edward's wrists and ankles. We were all sweating when he was secured once again. Carlisle was busy checking Edward's vital signs and making sure that there were no broken bones or any immediate injuries. I glanced at him and he nodded, telling me that it was okay to continue.

* * *

Hours later, I was exhausted and frustrated. I hadn't made any progress with getting Jacob to show himself. I continued to keep a positive attitude, although it started to crack. The Cullens sat around the bed, all in different states of drowsiness. Ever since he levitated, Jacob/Edward laid perfectly still.

"Bella, I need to change the tape," Ben said from across the room, startling all of us. I let out a nervous laugh and ran a hand through my hair. My heart skipped a beat when Edward shifted on the bed.

"Bella…" I jumped up and scrambled to the bed.

"Edward! Edward, are you there?" I cupped his hot face between my hands and stared deep into his eyes, which were back to green.

"I don't have much….time…" He breathed, his eyelids fluttering shut. His entire family tried to squeeze onto the mattress.

"Is it like the other times, Edward? What's going on inside?" I asked frantically, not knowing how much time he had.

"It's worse….the chains are bigger, stronger…" His body stiffened and his eyes widened.

"No…no! Not yet!" He pleaded, his voice child-like in its desperateness.

"Listen to me, Edward. You have to fight this, it is your only chance. I'm trying my best. Please fight, for me and the baby." His eyes slid to mine and before he had a chance to respond, they switched back over to black and red.

**EPOV**

I woke up, seeing double. I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them slowly. My vision was back and so was Jacob.

"_**Back for the finale, eh?**_"

"No…" I wheezed, my voice raspy and weak.

"_**In three…two…one…**_" Jacob smiled and flicked his wrist. I watched through what looked like a large television screen, which was actually my own eyes, and saw myself lifting off the bed. Bella looked worse for wear as she hustled to keep a hold on me.

"Don't…don't hurt her…" I whispered, hanging my head in defeat. Sharp pain radiated from my arms and legs and I realized that my body was still strapped to the bed. Jacob laughed and the pain worsened. Black spots floated in front of my eyes and I knew I was going to pass out again if he didn't stop. Suddenly the pain was gone and I was flung into the air.

"_**Damn that bitch. She won't let go.**_" Jacob growled and furrowed his brow thoughtfully. He spun his hand in a circle and I watched the ceiling spin around me. I heard Bella curse, then yell at Jacob and a clatter. Jacob hissed in pleasure, seeming to grow larger.

"_**Ahh, that's better.**_" And with a final flick of his wrist, I felt a bone-jarring impact and Bella screaming at my brothers. I closed my eyes again, willing this nightmare to be over soon.

* * *

I had all but given up hope when Jacob shook me roughly, waking me from a dream I was having about Bella.

"_**You have until I tell you to stop. When I tell you, you will go back to where you are and will no longer speak or act until instructed.**_"

"Wait, what?" I was confused and Jacob snarled. The chains dropped from around me and suddenly I was in control of my body again.

"Bella…" I whispered, not sure where she was. The bed shifted and her hands were on my face, her warm breath fanning across my cheeks.

"Edward! Edward, are you there?"

"I don't have much…time…" I waited for Jacob to reappear and ruin my moment with her. I glanced around and saw that my entire family surrounded Bella and I. I wanted to speak to them, but Bella was going to get my undying attention.

"Is it like the other times, Edward? What's going on inside?"

"It's worse….the chains are bigger, stronger…"

"_**Stop.**_" Jacob's low voice rang in my ears.

"No…no! Not yet!" I pleaded with him. The time I had with Bella was too short. I felt the familiar constriction of the chains around my torso and her image began to fade.

"Listen to me, Edward. You have to fight this, it is your only chance. I'm trying my best. Please fight, for me and the baby." Jacob laughed victoriously and I roared at him. Tears streamed down my face as I fought against the chains, the rough metal scraping and chafing my skin.

"Don't hurt her! She's pregnant!"

"_**You think I don't know that? Of course I know she's pregnant. It's my child, after all.**_"

**BPOV**

The room was silent, which made my sobs sound even louder. I had pulled out all the stops and yet nothing had worked.

"Bella, maybe we should stop. We've tried our best, God knows you did as well. Edward is trying his damnedest, but you have to think of the baby now. I think a few hours won't hurt," Carlisle murmured, rubbing my shoulders.

"I'm fine," I hiccupped and rubbed my face with my hands.

"Listen to me. You aren't doing the baby any good stressing yourself out like this. Take a break, if it is only a few minutes. Get something to eat and rest your eyes. Please. I'm asking you to do this from a doctor's perspective." Carlisle added at the end and gestured to Jasper, who picked me up and carried me over to a chair in the corner. Rosalie and Alice followed behind Esme, who placed a wet rag over my eyes. The Cullens were returning the favor; for me taking care of their son and brother, they were taking care of me. If the sudden exhaustion hadn't hit me at that exact moment, I would've thanked them. But the blackness of unconsciousness overcame me and I fell asleep.

* * *

"Bella…Bella, wake up." Jasper brushed the hair off my forehead as I slowly opened my eyes. The sun was shining weakly through the blinds and the smell of coffee filled the room. Angela and Ben were sleeping on the floor by the door, using each other as pillows. Esme and Alice sat at the head of the bed, softly stroking Edward's hair and face. Panic filled me and I shot up in my chair, the blood rushing quickly away from my head. I blacked out momentarily and Emmett's large hands came around my waist, steadying me.

"It's not Edward. Both of you haven't moved in hours." My breathing slowed and I made my way over to the bed. Esme scooted over when I sat next to her.

"How long have you known?" She asked quietly, still stroking her son's hair. He looked better, but that wasn't saying much.

"About a day. I found out yesterday, with Alice and Rose." _It's only been a day? Shit, it feels like forever ago._ Esme nodded and stopped her hand on Edward's cheek.

"I'm glad he's finally found someone to love and I'm ecstatic that it's you. A family is exactly what he's going to need after this ordeal." It seemed as though something she said triggered something in Edward because his eyes opened and latched onto mine. The darkness of his eyes frightened me. Esme and Alice slid off the bed, and I prayed that Ben left the camera running.

"I'm done with you, Jacob Black. God damn it! Let Edward go!" I grabbed the Bible Angela placed on the side table and began reciting verses. Jacob growled and lashed out at me.

"With every power I have within me and from the powers of all that is in this room, I command you leave this body!" I screamed, the last string on my sanity finally snapping. I repeated the verses, getting louder with every sentence. Soon I was shouting and I could see that Jacob was losing his hold over Edward. Edward's eyes kept changing from green to black in rapid succession. Panting heavily, I placed the Bible on his chest and watched in amazement and horror as two images began flickering in front of my eyes. An unearthly noise emanated from Edward's throat, a mixture of Edward's and Jacob's voices. It was like watching an old black and white television fighting to get a clear image. The light disappeared, the entire room going pitch black. The noise was deafening and when I thought my eardrums would explode, a bolt of what looked like lightning shot from the ceiling to Edward's chest and the room went silent, the light reappearing. Edward laid still on the bed, breathing normally.

"What the fuck was that?!" Emmett shouted, scaring us all. I scrambled up on the bed, cupping Edward's face. His eyes fluttered open and with a sigh of immense relief, I kissed him soundly. My tears dripped onto his cheeks when I felt him kiss me back.

"That, my friend, was an exorcism." Ben said, slinging an arm around Emmett's broad shoulders.

"That was it? Where was the head-spinning, the pea soup spewing, the priest flying out the window?" Emmett sounded stunned, while the rest of his family crowded around Edward and I.

"Em, that was The Exorcist movie." Jasper laughed, punching his brother-in-law playfully.

"Well, shit! I was expecting something more. But I'm glad you're back, Edward." He added hastily at the end, noticing the glares he was getting from his family.

"Bella," Edward whispered against my lips.

"What?" I kissed his cheeks, his forehead and lifted my head.

"Get me the hell out of here."

* * *

**He's BACK! *cheers* I'm not sure if the next chapter will be an epilogue or not. Fear not, my beloved readers, for there is a sequel! Yes, your eyes have not deceived you! I am writing a sequel to this story and will start posting it as soon as I finish this one.**

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	27. The End Or Is It?

**A/N: I had this finished yesterday, but FanFiction was being a little biotch and wouldn't let me sign on or anything. **

**I'm a little sad that I'm about to say this: THIS IS THE FINAL CHAPTER. That's right, Haunted is coming to an end. But do you remember what I told you last time? Think hard....it starts with a S and ends with -EQUEL. **

**It's a little tough to handle and I'll be waiting for the complaints, but I'm proud to say that I've actually completed the first story I've ever written. Yay for me!**

**Okay, enough with the Author's Note. I'll let you read now...**

**BPOV**

Edward spent a day in the hospital, on Carlisle's terms and for my own research. We moved rooms, because none of us wanted to spend a second longer in there. I stayed with him the entire time, sometimes asking him questions, sometimes just laying next to him and watching him sleep. I only left once to meet with an OB/GYN to get the pregnancy confirmed. The results came back while Edward and I were eating dinner together in his room.

"Carlisle said you'd be in here," My OB/GYN smiled as she shut the door behind her.

"Dr. Ryans, this is Edward." I introduced them, but they shook hands like old friends.

"We did rotations with each other, love." Edward leaned over to whisper in my ear when he noticed my puzzled expression.

"Glad to hear that you're better, Edward. Carlisle seemed worried about you the past couple of weeks."

"I've never felt better in my life. Thanks for the concern, Mel."

"I've got your results back, Bella. Congrats. You're two months pregnant!" I quickly did the math in my head and it seemed like Edward was doing the same because his hand gripped mine tightly and his skin was clammy against mine.

"Thanks, Dr. Ryans." I mumbled, my face feeling numb.

"I'll give your number to one of the nurses and she'll call you for your first appointment. Congratulations, you two." Dr. Ryans grinned as she left.

"Shit, he was right." Edward groaned, rubbing his face with his free hand.

"Is there anyway to pinpoint exactly the day of conception?" I was trying to recall every time Edward and I were together. There were more times after that one night in the hotel. Maybe there was a chance it wasn't from that night. Yea, and Satan's planning to build a Sno-Cone stand in Hell…

"There is, but there is more testing involved. I'm going to page Mel back and get you started." Edward the Doctor was in motion and all I could do was wait.

* * *

They took blood and urine samples, ultra-sounded my stomach and I had a full-blown examination, stirrups and all. I hobbled back to Edward's room, completely exhausted. I crawled onto the bed next to him and promptly fell asleep. Someone's insistent nudging and prodding finally woke me up. I rolled over, my eyes shooting open when I hung off the edge of the bed. I reared up, nearly breaking Edward's nose.

"It's okay, I got you. Dr. Ryans is back," Edward rubbed my arms as I leaned against him. Dr. Ryans stood near the door, looking a little worse for wear.

"Hey Dr. Ryans," My voice was rough with sleep as I greeted her.

"Results are hot from the printer." Both of us tensed as she flipped through the pages.

"You are actually about a month and half pregnant and the day you conceived is about two weeks after the date Edward asked me to check."

"So there's no way I could've conceived on that day?" Dr. Ryans shook her head and handed Edward the results. He let out a sigh of relief and tears pricked my eyes as I got to see the results myself.

"Thanks a lot, Mel, for the rush on these. I owe you big time."

"No problem, Edward. I'll see you next week, Bella." We sat in silence after Dr. Ryans left. I glanced down at the papers on Edward's lap and lost it. We had lived in fear for the past few hours and knowing that all traces of Jacob were gone from our lives was a huge weight lifted off our shoulders. Edward held me as I cried and I felt his own tears on my skin.

* * *

It had been a month since Edward's exorcism. We moved into a hotel for a week, both of us not ready for the transition back to the house. A majority of my morning sickness happened in that poor hotel bathroom. Edward had a hard time sleeping at night, waking me up with his violent thrashing in the bed. I resorted to sleeping on the floor next to the bed, which Edward objected to, but if I was going to get a good night's sleep, this was the only way possible. We left the hotel and spent a couple of days with Carlisle and Esme. I was getting fed up of moving from house to house and I needed new clothes, so I brought up going back to Edward's.

"No. Absolutely not." Edward said one night after a family dinner. Esme and Alice were in the kitchen, cleaning dishes and the rest of us were sitting around the table.

"Why not? Angela and Ben have been there more times than all of us combined and they said there is nothing going on there. It's completely safe."

"No." He didn't even look at me when he answered.

"You could stay with us," Jasper said quietly from next to me.

"Enough! I'm done with crashing in guest bedrooms! It's either our house or I'm going back to Seattle and waiting there until you head back to your own house." There it was, out in the open: my ultimatum. The entire room went still, even Esme and Alice stopped washing plates.

"Fine. Go back to Seattle, then. I'll call you when I move in." He pushed back from the table and stormed out of the room. It felt as though someone kicked me square in the chest. I fumbled for a chair, my vision blurred with tears.

"He didn't mean that, Bella." Emmett said, reaching across the table to grab my hand. I shook it off, using it to rest my head on.

"I should go and get my things," My voice was strained, my throat constricted from the emotions raging through me.

"Stay here for the night, Bella. And if you still want to, we'll drive you back to Seattle in the morning. He'll come to his senses sooner or later." Esme murmured, now standing behind me.

"I should go," I repeated again and stood up from the table. The entire Cullen clan followed me around the house and then out to my car. Edward had disappeared on foot, from what it seemed. Alice and Rose made me promise to call them whenever I got in later. Carlisle and the boys put my (few) bags in the backseat and Esme hugged me.

"Please call, okay?" I got in my car and backed out of their driveway, the Cullen family watching me go.

* * *

I pulled up the lengthy driveway, the large house looming and intimidating in the darkness. I scrounged in my purse for my keys, finding them at the very bottom of my bag. I walked up the steps and unlocked the front door. The familiar smell nearly brought me to my knees. I dragged my bags in behind me, leaving them at the bottom of the steps. I wandered the house, turning on lights as I went. There was a fine layer of dust on everything and I knew I was going to be spending my day tomorrow cleaning this house from top to bottom. I decided to go upstairs to get some sleep, so I grabbed my bags and hauled them up. The bed was made, which surprised me. I hadn't remembered ever doing it up. It looked inviting and I quickly unzipped my suitcase and slipped on my pajamas and climbed in. The scent on the pillows made me tear up slightly.

I didn't remember falling asleep, but a constant clicking noise brought me to my senses. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes as I tried to figure out where the noise was coming from. I walked out into the hallway and heard it in the room across from mine. I pulled up the shades and saw that it was rocks that were making the noise. I opened the window and stuck my head out, getting hit in the forehead in the process.

"Ow! What the hell is going on out here?!" I yelled, glaring down at whoever was throwing rocks.

"I forgot my keys. Let me in. It's fucking cold out here." Edward's voice yelled back to me.

"I thought you said you weren't coming home!"

"And you're supposed to be in Seattle! In, please?!" Touché. I took my sweet-ass time getting downstairs. I rubbed the tiny bulge of my stomach as I opened the front door. Edward leaned against the doorjamb, his eyes glassy and unfocused.

"Have you been drinking?" I asked, surprised. In all the time I had spent with him, I never saw him drink.

"Took you long enough," He grumbled, avoiding my question and tried to get in. I blocked the doorway, a growl in my chest.

"Uh-uh. Not until I get an explanation. You can sleep out here all damn night if I don't get a good enough answer from you."

"I'm sorry. It's been an interesting past couple of weeks. Babe, it's freezing out. Can I just come in?" I shut the door in his face. I started to walk away when I heard his voice again.

"I'm scared, alright? Is that a good enough explanation for you?" I tripped over my feet, catching myself on the sofa.

"Let me in. Let me in, Bella." He pleaded, a soft thud on the door echoed in the living room. I shuffled over and slowly opened the door. He stumbled in, grabbing onto me for support. I shut the door against the cold breeze and sat on the couch, staring openly at Edward. He shivered and took off his jacket, slinging it over the chair by the front door.

"Dusty," He commented as he passed the coffee table to sit across from me. I smiled, but knew it looked forced.

"You're not in Seattle." He didn't look at me, but I watched his every move.

"I, uh, don't know yet. I have to call your parents in the morning."

"Oh." An awkward silence fell upon us and I cleared my throat loudly.

"There hasn't been anything in the house since I've arrived,"

"That's good."

"You…you said you were scared?" I thought I would just bring the white elephant in the room into view. He didn't answer, so I tried another way.

"Jacob isn't coming back, Edward. He's gone. There's nothing to be afraid of anymore."

"How can you be sure of that? How do you know he's gone? Truly gone? What if it was like the other times, him hiding in my mind until the perfect time? I can't take any chances, Bella."

"I don't…I don't know…"

"Exactly! You don't know! How do you know that that…thing…inside of you isn't his?!" Edward jumped to his feet and pointed with a shaky hand to my stomach. Defensively, I wrapped my arms around my middle.

"Dr. Ryans confirmed that it couldn't possibly be his. You were there, Edward. You know for a fact that it isn't his. It's yours." He shook his head and turned around, shoving his hands in his pants pockets.

"How? How do you know?" His voice cracked and his shoulders trembled. I reached out towards him, grabbing his shirtsleeve.

"I can't, but the evidence proves it to be true. Nothing has happened since that night in the hospital. The only thing that you've done is have nightmares and even those are getting better. Edward, believe me when I say that Jacob is gone for good, never to be seen again." He dropped to his knees and sagged against the couch. I slid off my seat and crawled over to him, taking him in my arms. He nestled his head in the crook of my neck, his tears warm. I rocked him gently, kissing his forehead, cheeks, whatever I could reach.

"I'm scared he'll come back and I'll never see you again. I love you, Bella." Unable to put what I felt into words, I shifted so I could kiss his lips. Edward picked me up and carried me back upstairs to our room and loved me for the first time in nearly a month. And for the first time in nearly a month, slept peacefully.

* * *

The following months brought immense change, in both of our lives, both good and bad. Edward refused to go to therapy, his family insistent on helping him work through his "inner demons", deciding rather to put his feelings onto music sheets, spending hours alone in his music room every night. He even changed his profession, going from a surgeon to aspiring composer. I was fine with that, the long hours were taking a toll on both of us. My pregnancy was absolutely perfect. It helped having a husband who had a medical degree. Husband. I was still getting used to saying that. Edward proposed the day I had my first real ultrasound. We sat in the car, staring in awe at the tiny black and white picture that was our baby. He simply placed the ring on my finger and started the car up, backing out of the parking spot of the OB/GYN office.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I just want you to say yes." I did, and we were married four months later, all thanks to Alice's perseverance. It was a small ceremony in our backyard, just my family and Edward's.

* * *

The darkest day of my life came almost three months after Edward and I were married. For the entire length of my pregnancy, everything had gone smooth. Every test and ultrasound came back excellent; I was in the best shape of my life and so was the baby. I went into labor in the middle of the night and Edward drove like a mad man to the hospital. My labor was long and difficult, and when it came time to push, I was exhausted. The doctors tried everything they could and I knew something was wrong when they began to talk quietly with each other.

"Bella, we're taking you to the O.R., to have an emergency C-section." Dr. Ryans said, mumbling to a nurse to find an open operating room.

"Why? What's going on?" The medicine they gave me made my head swim and I tried to focus on their words intensely.

"…baby….problems….cord….neck…." Were the few words I caught. I felt Edward grip my hand tightly as they wheeled me out of my delivery room and quickly down the hall. Edward left my side to scrub up alongside the doctors, leaving me alone in the operating room to be prepped hastily. Edward kissed my forehead when he came into the room.

"Everything is fine, love. Don't worry. We'll have our beautiful baby here any moment."

"Alright, Bella. You're going to feel some pressure while we get this baby out, okay?" Dr. Ryans said loudly from behind the blue curtain the nurses had put up. Edward kept peering around the curtain, telling me the progress of the doctors. I gasped as an odd sensation rippled through me and Edward leaned over to tell me the baby was out.

"Why isn't it crying?" Edward said to himself, a frown forming on his forehead.

"Edward, what's wrong? What's going on, Edward?" I weakly raised my head, trying to see around the blue curtain.

"I'm going to go check," Edward went to get up, but Dr. Ryans came over to us, grabbing both of our hands.

"There were complications. We tried everything we could. Bella, Edward, I'm terribly sorry." Edward sat back down with a stunned look on his face. Tears streamed down my cheeks as the reality of the situation came crashing down around me.

"I want to see my baby," I whispered painfully. Dr. Ryans wrung her hands and knelt down next to me. She brushed hair from my cheek and I watched as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Bella, let me take you back to the room. There are certain things that need to be done first-"

"Let me see my baby." I said through gritted teeth. Dr. Ryans took a deep breath and signaled a nurse. She brought over a tiny bundle and placed it in Dr. Ryans arms.

"He's a beautiful little boy, Bella." She choked out before her owns tears of grief overtook her. She handed him over to Edward and he gently stroked our baby's face. He angled himself so I could look at my son. A bronze tuft of hair was covered by a tiny cap. His tiny nose and mouth reminded me of Edward's. Overcome, Edward placed his head next to mine and sobbed. My world felt like it was crumbling, my heart shattered into a million pieces in my chest. The operating room reverberated the sounds of Edward and my pain, the saddest sound in the entire world.

* * *

We named him Edward James Cullen, Jr., EJ for short. The cause of his death was the umbilical cord had wrapped around his neck during labor and he had been suffocated. Edward had broken the news to our family, while I laid in the hospital room, pretending to sleep so I wouldn't have to face them. Edward and I took EJ home with us and had a burial in the backyard, under the same tree where we had been married. It was Edward and I, which was enough for us. Carlisle and Esme had a small headstone made, all it said was Edward James Cullen, Jr. Alice planted a freesia plant next to the headstone and I took extra care of that tiny plant. Edward and I visited EJ every day, sometimes together, sometimes by ourselves. I talked to him about what I had done that day or I simply cried.

A few months after EJ's birth, I found that I was pregnant again. Edward and I took extreme care to monitor everything with this baby. We even decided to find out the sex before birth. We were excited to find that we were having a girl. As my due date approached, we were cautiously optimistic for a healthy and easy delivery. We were wrong. I panicked the minute I went into labor, a flash back to the not-so distant past where I was in the same situation. Dr. Ryans met us at reception, taking us immediately up to a room without a word. My labor was longer than before and after nearly eight hours, I delivered Masie Elizabeth Cullen. Edward had suggested Elizabeth, for his late mother, I thought using his former last name would me a touching tribute to both him and his parents. And when Edward was fast asleep next to my bed, I wept as I held Masie. Her tiny round face and brown hair must have come from me and her eyes started turning a brilliant emerald green, like her father's, hours after being born. Here, in my arms, was the embodiment of Edward and my love. The fears I had felt from the past leading up to this moment flowed through me. My life had been changed for the better, from the day I knocked a certain Edward Cullen's door to the day I said "I do", I knew there was no way I would ever be the same again.

* * *

Five years later, I was reviewing a case that Angela had brought over to me in my office and I heard Masie playing her room across the hall.

"Momma, come see my picture!" She called excitedly and I couldn't help but smile as I entered her brightly colored room. She had paper and crayons all around her and she held a piece of construction paper tight against her chest. Her brown curls bounced as she trembled with excitement.

"Alright, Masie, let's see it." I crouched down next to her.

"You ready?" I nodded and she put it down in front of me. I picked up and felt my heart stop. She had drawn Edward and I and herself, along with two other figures. There was a young boy with brown hair and some orange that she had scribbled in, and a tall, dark-skinned man with long black hair hanging past his shoulders, wearing a white button-up shirt and black pants. Underneath each of the drawings, she carefully wrote each name. Daddy, Mommy, Me, EJ, Mr. B. Shaken, I took the picture and stood up.

"Why don't you go downstairs and wait for Nana to come and get you? I'll be down in a few minutes," I hurried back to my office and shut the door. I dialed Edward's cell phone and waited anxiously for him to pick up.

"Hey, what's up, love?" He answered breathlessly. I forgot he was at the gym with Emmett and Jasper, playing basketball.

"Can you come home? I need to show you something,"

"What is it? Did something happen? Is it Masie?"

"No, it's not Masie per se, but something she drew. It's kind of important."

"It's not like something dirty, is it? I knew she walked in the other night…" Cutting to the chase, I blurted out,

"She drew EJ, Edward. I don't know how she knew who he was, or what he looked like."

"Leaving now. I'll be home in twenty minutes."

* * *

Edward came home at the exact moment Esme was leaving with Masie. He leaned down to kiss the top of her head and then his mother's cheek.

"See you two tonight at dinner," She reminded us as she picked her granddaughter up and carried her to her car.

"I'll bring dessert." I called back and closed the front door.

"Where is it?" I unfolded it and handed it over to him. He stared at it for a good ten minutes before saying anything.

"He looks exactly like me. That's EJ, for sure. And Mr. B can't be…" We both stared at each other in growing panic.

"He's back."

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN! *loud applause from favorite and loyal readers* Thank you, thank you! First of all, I'd like to thank the Academy and most of all, the love of my writer's life, Stephenie Meyer, for dreaming of these characters and allowing me to have the chance to torment them in my mind. You like me, you really, really like me!**

**Did anyone watch the Oscars on Sunday? Who was excited to see RPattz? Who laughed when he presented Romance of 2008 and dissed himself because he "turned into a vampire to find his true love"? Oh Spunk Ransom, we love thee...**

**I love you all and I'll let you know when I'm starting to post the sequel. Hopefully you've added me to your Author Alerts...**

Thanks again for sticking with me through this story. I've enjoyed reading all of your reviews and I'm looking forward to what you have to say about the sequel.

AFutureCullen

aka

Meghan

* * *


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